Ghanaian musician Flowking Stone has noted that promoting music in Ghana has become more challenging compared to the past.
Flowking Stone, whose real name is Kwaku Nsia Boama, explained that previously, music promotion was largely funded by producers who handled all financial aspects, including paying for radio slots and DJ fees.
However, with the rise of the internet, CD sales declined, impacting the music industry. Many producers shifted their focus to movies due to the booming Kumawood industry.
This shift left artists to handle their own promotion, leading to the rise of “Indie artists.”
In an interview on 3FM Drive with Giovani Caleb, Flowking Stone pointed out that artists now have to manage their own promotion and cover all associated costs, such as paying for dancers, radio and TV promotion, and digital ads.
He believes that despite the presence of record labels today, the situation has not significantly improved.
Flowking Stone recalled a time when producers would take songs to radio and DJs, but as the industry evolved and producers moved into movies, artists had to self-fund their promotions.
“Now TikTok came and people started blowing and we were like okay. Even before TikTok, there was Facebook.
There was a time even when you post a video on Facebook, they will open up to all your fans and reduce the number of people who will see.
They will allow only 5% of your fans to see it unless you buy advert so we started buying advert and tipping the club DJs and radio DJs.
Then TV stations came and you had to tip all the people.
“The funny thing is that the TikTok is the last hope and they started charging more than all the others. So now the job is difficult so you can blow on TikTok and if you don’t have good friends on radio, it will not go.
“So the original budget you need to fund that has become bigger and you the artiste you don’t have it,” he explained on Friday, August 23.
The rapper is currently promoting his ‘Decision’ album released last year while he was in the UK, the album has songs featuring King Paluta, Mr Drew, Morphty and others.
