Why Nollywood Producers Can’t Afford Afrobeats Songs — Dammy Twitch

Filmmaker and music video director, Apampa Oluwadamilola, professionally known as Dammy Twitch, has said Nollywood producers are increasingly finding it difficult to use Afrobeats songs in movies as many Nigerian artists sign publishing and copyright agreements that limit direct access to their music.

Speaking on a recent episode of the Afropolitan podcast, the video director explained that the rapid global expansion of Afrobeats has led many artists to enter publishing deals with foreign companies, making music licensing more complex and expensive for filmmakers.

According to him, personal relationships with musicians are no longer enough to secure permission to use their songs in films because many artists no longer have full control over the commercial rights 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 said.

Dammy Twitch noted that the rising cost of licensing popular Afrobeats tracks poses a major challenge for independent filmmakers, who account for a large share of Nigeria’s film industry.

“Even if the artist is my friend, they can’t permit me to use their song freely because they have already entered a contract. That is a major challenge in the movie industry,” he added.

The video director described the current relationship between Nollywood and the Afrobeats industry as increasingly strained, and that only productions backed by major studios or well-funded investors can easily afford the licensing fees attached to hit songs.

“The collaboration between Nollywood and Afrobeats is at a very weird place right now. Many producers can’t afford to include Afrobeats songs in their movies unless a major studio or investor backs them. Nigerian producers are mostly independent filmmakers, so a lot of us won’t be able to afford it,” Twitch said.

He warned that the trend could widen the gap between two of Nigeria’s most influential creative industries if more affordable and flexible licensing arrangements are not developed.