MTN's Digital Music conference focuses on local artistes

Telecommunication giants, MTN, has held a Digital Music Conference, which focuses on creating ways to help the digitization and monetization of music from local artistes.

The music conference under the theme, "The music industry and adapting to the emerging global technologies; opportunities and challenges," saw various music stakeholders across the continent divulge ways to address the various challenges facing local artistes in promoting their music.

Bless Sefenu Agordjo, the Senior Manager of MTN Ghana Product and Services, addressing the media after the conference, said, his outfit was poised in helping artistes thrive in their endeavours especially considering their vast reach on the Africa continent.

"The conference seeks to bring industry stakeholders together and create an atmosphere that triggers the discuss issues pertaining to the music industry.

"It will also offer the platform for interaction among artistes, managers, producers, recording companies among others into finding ways to digitize local content which there are lots of opportunities," Mr Agordjo stated.

Mr. Munya Chanetsa, the Managing Director of Content Connect Ghana, was worried about the low penetration of credit cards on the continent, which doesn't aid the purchase of music on internet.

"We need to find African solutions for Africa especially with the payment method is the biggest challenge. Credit card penetration in Africa is less than 1% in countries excluding South Africa, Egypt and Angola.

"So we need to find ways to purchase music through mobile money across the continent which will make the purchase of music much more easier,'' Chanetsa said.

Mr Sipho Dlamini, the Managing Director of Universal Music Africa, his lecture at the conference, entreated artistes, managers and producers to take up doing music as a business and not a hobby.

He entreated artistes to identify the roles of each member of their management as it will aid them in understanding the business aspect of doing music.

Mr Dlamini urged musicians to adapt modern trends and capitalize on ways getting their music to their fans especially with the revolution in the distribution of music.