Exposed and Exploited: The Toll of Digitization on Ghana's Creative Economy

In recent years, the entertainment industry has turned the art world upside down, redefining how we appreciate and engage with creative works. Digitization has become a magical wand for artists, from eager entrepreneurs to hopeful Grammy and Golden Globe contenders, empowering them to pursue their dreams and make money. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook have become the glittering stages where passion meets profit, ushering in a new era of influencers and digital marketers.

Yet, as Ghana's creative economy tried to bloom, it found itself tangled in a digital jungle. What was once hailed as a golden ticket to fame has morphed into a double-edged sword, leaving artists feeling more exposed than ever. While platforms promise a global audience, they often turn a blind eye to piracy and provide pocket change as compensation, threatening the very creativity they claim to uplift. This paradox of the digital age highlights a harsh truth: the price of visibility often leaves financial stability in the dust, rendering Ghanaian talent both vulnerable and victimized.

How Digitization is Strangling Ghanaian Musicians

In a world where music is a mere click away, you’d think Ghanaian musicians would be riding high on the digital wave. But alas, reality has other plans. The once-thriving realm of physical sales has dwindled to a whisper, and investors who once championed artists have dashed off to greener pastures. As a result, the music industry is gasping for air, struggling to keep pace in a rapidly evolving landscape.

A significant hurdle for a robust digital music scene in Ghana is the reliance on credit and debit cards for streaming. With only about 15% of Ghanaians wielding these financial tools, the majority find themselves locked out of the party. In the home turf where artists have their biggest fan base, they capture a measly slice of the market—just 5,164,112 out of a bustling 34,427,414 population.

The distribution chain has become a convoluted maze, where middlemen multiply like rabbits. Distributors, sub-distributors, and even sub-sub-distributors are all vying for a slice of the pie, leaving artists with crumbs. Consequently, musicians find themselves in a precarious financial situation, where earnings barely cover the cost of a decent meal.

Adding to the chaos, many artists remain blissfully unaware of how digital platforms operate, opening the door to exploitation. Some even opt out of the digital race entirely, unwittingly rolling out the red carpet for pirates eager to swipe their work and profit from it. With little recourse, these artists watch helplessly as their creations spread like wildfire, credited to everyone but them.

Worse yet, the digital landscape in Ghana has become a playground for shady websites like ghanamotion.com and ghanasongs.com, which shamelessly offer music for free while profiting from ads and clickbait. Instead of empowering artists, digitization has turned into a goldmine for opportunists, leaving creators in a tight spot.

The Digital Disruption of Ghanaian Movies

Digitization and globalization have also made waves in the Ghanaian film industry, but not always for the best. Once thriving on the sales of VCDs and DVDs, the industry has seen its revenue plummet as these formats become relics of the past. With the rise of digital streaming services, traditional production and distribution methods are gasping for breath, leaving filmmakers in a lurch.

As streaming becomes the go-to for entertainment, cinema outings are on the decline. Families no longer flock to theaters; instead, they snuggle up at home with their screens. This shift doesn’t just hit box office sales—it robs audiences of the communal experience that once brought them together.

Globalization has added another twist, shifting the tastes of younger viewers toward Western films. With easy access to international content, local productions struggle to make a splash, as many young Ghanaians opt for foreign films they deem superior. This cultural shift presents a hefty challenge for Ghanaian filmmakers trying to tell relatable stories.

Moreover, digital streaming platforms often operate with strict criteria that favor content aligning with global trends, sidelining local productions. This creates a vicious cycle of neglect, making it tougher for Ghanaian filmmakers to gain international recognition.

Television stations that once championed local films are now prioritizing Western and Asian content, which they can snag at a bargain. This shift undermines the financial viability of local filmmakers, depriving them of the resources needed to create competitive content.

Lastly, the reliance on debit and credit cards for subscription services leaves a large chunk of the population in the cold. This limitation effectively cuts off a vast audience from engaging with local films, shrinking the market for Ghanaian content even further.

In a landscape where opportunities are evaporating, the dream of becoming a movie star is losing its sparkle for many young Ghanaians. Platforms like Drama Box and Showmax, which do accept mobile money payments (available to 28.8 million Ghanaians), tend to promote Asian and Nigerian content, leaving local productions on the back burner.

While digitization and globalization promise to broaden horizons, they’ve also thrown a spanner in the works for Ghana's creative industry. The decline of physical sales, shifting audience tastes, and the barriers posed by streaming services have left many musicians and filmmakers fighting to stay afloat. Unless these systemic issues are addressed, the future of Ghanaian music and cinema may remain a dim affair, leaving talented creators without the recognition and support they desperately need.