My dear NAIJA BRETHREN, do you know how much time, effort and money it takes to produce, mix and master then promote one track? No “Gospel” fees from producers or mixing engineers, no financial backing from church (and that’s not the responsibility of the church, it’s not why Christ established the church, It’s not bank of industry). As a musician, your income streams are as follows:
RECORDS SALES (physical media or digital media downloads/streaming), LICENSING (when your product is used on ad campaigns, movies, etc), IN ADDITION, WE HAVE IMAGE RIGHTS TOURS (ticket sales), EVENTS (in Nigerian terms, “ministrations”) ROYALTIES from remarks of your song (if you’re the songwriter), radio airplay, etc.
In Nigeria today, we only have one and half streams. Record sales (half) and events (church organised events). You are not expected to charge when you go to events and 90% of the time, those who don’t charge are not given anything tangible; you release free songs and you don’t gate your events because it’s “gospel music.” I hear people say that it’s ministry so God will provide.
I’ve checked my Bible very well and nowhere are you automatically ordained a minister because you are a Christian musician. Christ did not die to make anyone a singer. Singing is not a gift of the Spirit, but you can express these gifts through singing. Music is an unexplainable and very powerful “phenomenon” from heaven. That’s undeniable.
Praise and worship belongs in our homes, hearts and in our churches. Gospel music does not belong in the church. It should be launched out from church. It belongs in the world. It’s meant to salt a bitter world. It’s an arrow that should be deployed to the camp of the enemy. It’s a light that should shine in & dominate the darkness that is in entertainment. It requires a strong functioning structure.
In Nigeria the only part of the structure that works is production. Songs are churned out like water! But it’s funny how the production part where u spend so much money is not seen as ministry, but the part where it comes to making returns.
Watch out for Gospel Music in Nigeria, Part 2.
This article is a personal opinion of the writer.
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