State of the Music in 2021

This year has been a roller coaster for many musicians and music lovers alike.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been at the helm of causing distortion in the global music industry, which according to weforum.org, is worth over US$50 billion, with two major income streams.

The first, live music, makes up more than 50% of total revenue and is derived mainly from sales of tickets to live performances. The second, recorded music, combines revenue from streaming, digital downloads, physical sales and synchronisation revenues (licensing of music for movies, games, TV and advertising).

Locally, musicians couldn’t make much money from live performances because of the strict lockdown regulations that were in effect for most of the year. Only a handful of musicians were being booked at small venues or private events, which were few and far between.

Many musicians will be able to relate, like seasoned artist Elemotho, who toured regularly before the pandemic, which he describes as particularly devastating on performing artists.

“I would be lying if I said many of us have not suffered financial setbacks with cancelled tours and concerts,” Elemotho says. “Currently many musicians are still negotiating between non-paying live streams and alternative jobs like teaching. I have not managed to tour in a while, and have kept busy by writing and composing new music.

“I have done online gigs plus motivational events to help raise people’s spirits,” Elemotho says.

He finds a silver lining in the cloud of Covid, in that some musicians spent more time with family and friends, reflecting on what it really means to be an artist.

“The pandemic has left many artists in a tight spot, unable to fend for themselves. It’s difficult to do promotion, marketing and revenue streams if you are not active and out there to promote new projects.

“In our industry, like in any other, to make money you have to spend money,” Elemotho says.

Recorded music in Namibia today has exceeded many people’s expectations, with the steady release of radio singles and music videos, which is testament to the growing adoption of streaming services by local musicians and consumers.

However, Antonio’s Art owner Dragan Antonio says since the start of the pandemic, album sales for many Namibian artists have declined rapidly.

“Most of the top-selling artists are forced to release an album every four months, just to keep up with sales. Meaning, artists make money by releasing more albums but give up the quality of music,” Antonio says.

He adds that since consumers were not buying many albums, only a few musicians managed to stay focused and conjure up new and creative ideas to stay afloat during the pandemic.

“Only business-minded and creative people will survive! Job creation is almost zero and the job loss is huge. I’m very worried for new job seekers in the industry. That’s like a ticking bomb. I will be not surprised if we have a worldwide revolution in next five to 10 years,” Antonio says.

Although it seems like all is lost and there’s no hope for local musicians to earn a decent income, the pandemic has shown us that those bold enough to continue creating and evolving, will be rewarded for their hard work in the future.

– unWrap.online