Dami Twitch Cites Foreign Deals Blocking Songs
Music video director-turned-filmmaker Dami Twitch has said Nollywood producers can no longer freely use Afrobeats songs in films without securing permission.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Afropolitan podcast, Twitch explained that many Afrobeats artists now have publishing deals with foreign companies, noting that the agreements restrict even friendly access to their catalogues.
“Nollywood producers can’t freely use Afrobeats songs in movies anymore. Some artists have already sold their music rights, so adding their songs to films becomes difficult,” he stated.
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Speaking further, he said that personal relationships with artists do not bypass legal contracts.
“Even if the artist is my friend, they can’t give me permission to use their song freely because they have already entered a contract. That is a major challenge in the movie industry,” he emphasized.
He further stressed that the licensing fees are often out of reach for independent filmmakers.
“A lot of producers can’t afford putting Afrobeats songs in their movies unless a big studio or investor supports them. Nigerian producers are mostly independent filmmakers so a lot of us won’t be able to afford it,” he said.
Twitch therefore added that the situation has strained the once-close creative ties between both industries.
“The collaboration between Nollywood and Afrobeats is at a very weird place right now,” he opined.
By Abdulbaqi Jibreel Ajao
