Veteran Nigerian singer Timaya has said that breaking into the music industry is significantly easier for today’s generation of artists compared to when he began his career.
Speaking during an episode of the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast, Timaya attributed this shift to technological advancements and the power of social media.
The hitmaker explained that platforms like TikTok have democratized success in the industry, allowing upcoming talents to achieve fame with just one viral song—something that was far more difficult during his early days.
He said: “Making music is easier for the new crop of musicians than in my time. Ahn ahn, before how do you want to blow? It’s only one person that has all the control.”
Recalling his own struggles, Timaya shared an example involving rights to his past music, noting how control was centralized in the hands of a few record labels.
“This ‘Odeshi’ song that I did with Flavour, we got to realised that it was Premier Music that has the catalogue. We wanted to do ‘Can I have A Dance?’, who did we contact? Premier. We paid again.”
He contrasted this with the current digital era where independent artists can easily access tools and platforms to distribute music.
“But right now, your father or your mother can just buy you studio equipments, you do one bad song. You can even just register yourself. One TikTok song and you are made. All you need is data,” he said.
Timaya also highlighted the hurdles artists faced in the past just to get airplay, emphasizing the steep barriers to entry that existed before streaming platforms and online visibility.
“Back then, we want get… Before dem go play your song sef for radio station enh! Ahhh! It was difficult. Now you are uploading a song. It’s very very fast to blow now. You can just be in your house and be shouting.”
Despite appreciating the progress, Timaya admitted he sometimes struggles to keep up with the demands of today’s fast-paced, social media-driven music scene.
“I also like it. But because I didn’t start like that, it’s difficult for me. It’s stressful posting. Sometimes, I think I don’t have to. But it’s the business, I got to.”
The singer’s reflections offer a rare glimpse into how the evolution of music distribution has impacted both old and new generations of artists in Nigeria’s booming Afrobeats industry.
