Ghana’s music industry faces piracy crisis as artists struggle to monetise hits – Bright Dwomoh
Ghana’s music industry, estimated to be worth about $150 million and growing by roughly 10 per cent annually, continues to face significant challenges in converting the popularity of local music into sustainable income for artists.
Ghana's music industry, valued at approximately $150 million and growing at around 10% annually, is struggling to translate the popularity of local music into a reliable income for artists. According to Bright Dwomoh, CEO of Ghana Songs, piracy and poor music discovery are significant hurdles preventing artists from profiting from their work.
While streaming platforms have opened new avenues for Ghanaian musicians, the revenue generated per stream is minimal, around GH₵0.05, and royalty collection remains a concern. The Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) has been criticized for its sluggish and opaque royalty distribution process. However, in July 2026, GHAMRO reported distributing over GH₵1.4 million in digital royalties and implemented measures to enhance transparency for its members.
Despite these efforts, piracy exacerbates the industry's issues, with estimates suggesting Ghana loses more than GH₵10 million yearly due to unauthorized music distribution. Dwomoh emphasized that piracy is not solely about enforcement; it is also about how listeners discover new music, often finding unofficial download sites before accessing artists' legitimate streaming platforms.
He pointed out that piracy typically begins when individuals search for songs, not with the intent to steal from artists. Ghana Songs is addressing this issue by directing listeners to legitimate sources, featuring new releases from over 300 Ghanaian and Pan-African artists on ghanasong.org, alongside their official YouTube videos and links to their recognized streaming platforms instead of hosting unauthorized downloads.
While Dwomoh acknowledged that improving music discovery alone would not solve Ghana's music industry challenges, particularly concerns around royalty collection, enforcement, and streaming revenues, he believed that creating a straightforward route from music discovery to official streaming platforms could help ensure artists receive their due credit, royalties, and audience data generated by their work.
"If the first link a fan sees after hearing about a new release is a real Spotify or Apple Music link instead of a download blog, that’s one less stream the artist never gets credited for," Dwomoh stated.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
