Gov’t to Launch a Local Digital Music and Film Streaming Platform

Vice President Dr Mahama Mahamudu Bawumia has announced plans to launch a local digital streaming platform in Ghana for musicians and filmmakers next month.

According to him, it will be the first of its kind in the country which will enable musicians and filmmakers to track their royalties, manage revenue and maximize opportunities.

With this platform, he said, players in the creative arts industry will make the most out of their crafts far beyond what they receive from uploading their craft on foreign streaming platforms.

In an engagement with members of the creative arts industry on October 16, the 2024 Presidential Candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) underscored the significance of the platform and how it will boost the creative industry.
“All the streaming platforms like Spotify and so are all externally owned and so when we put our music on those platforms it’s not surprising that the returns in terms of payment that are made to our musicians are very little and they are not much to write home about in general and so the issue for us, of making sure we have a streaming platform locally for music and putting in all the catalogues that we can find in Ghana on the platforms needs to be done.”

The development of the platform was a collaborative work of the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), the Ghana Music Right Organisation (GAMBRO), music producers and the private IT sector and financed by the government.

The platform, he noted, is ready to be oudoored at a yet-to-be-announced date in November.

“On the streaming platform, I am very happy to inform you that work has been completed. We have a joint work between MUSIGA, GAMBRO, music producers and the private sector. It has been completed. We are going to support this and make sure we take care of the development expenses related to this platform for the industry.

“In all, I was satisfied after the various presentations … to me. We are ready to outdoor this new local streaming platform for Ghanaian musicians and film producers. Next month we will launch Ghana’s first local streaming platform.”

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini