STORY BY BENEDICTA KONADU
Ghanaian Highlife Musician, Kwaisey Pee, has shared his opinion on royalties paid to Artistes.
Speaking on how he generates money from his music, the ‘akono akono’ hitmaker asserted that, Artistes cannot rely on royalties paid to them, especially those in Ghana.
He said, “Yes and I’m making money from my music. No, as for royalties, no but I have streams, I have shows, you cannot really rely on it. No, especially in Ghana but elsewhere, yes. Because I get royalties from other places. So in Ghana, it’s nothing to write home about. So if you are here and you’re saying I’m doing music so I’m going to rely on royalties, you not going to make it.”
He, however, blamed the system for not setting things in place for royalties to be collected and paid to the Artistes.
“It’s the system. I know my family, my cousin, I mean Rex Omar is the Head of royalties and then he is still doing his best. Sometimes you try to find out and they will be like, there are people who use your music and they don’t want to pay, you understand. There are FM stations, pubs and drinking spots, restaurants and places, so that is what I’m saying. It’s the system”, he stated.
He stated where some Artistes get money from their music online.
“Yeah, the YouTube, audiomack, the iTunes, the Amazon, the Boomplay, they are the ones making money now. I mean giving the Artistes money now not the royalties”, Kwaisey Pee posited.
