Prominent Nigerian music lawyer, Akinyemi Ayinoluwa, has called on African producers and songwriters to prioritise ownership of their music catalogues.
Ayinoluwa, in an interview with the 9news Nigeria on Sunday in Lagos, said, “rights must come before streams” if the continent’s creatives are to build sustainable wealth.
According to him, many back-end creators, producers and songwriters still lose long-term value because they sign away their rights too early.
“In 2019, a young producer I represent was offered 50,000 dollars for the outright purchase of his publishing interest in a record.
“It seemed like a no-brainer at the time, but that contract would have handed away every possible future publishing income stream—no royalties, no publishing share, no say in how the work was used.
“Today, that same composition has generated over £500,000 in royalties. That’s the difference ownership makes,” he said.
He said owning a catalogue goes beyond creative pride.
“It is about controlling the master rights, the sound recording and the publishing rights, which cover lyrics and composition.
“These rights are the music industry’s real currency.
“They generate royalties, sync fees, and licensing income. Whoever owns them decides how, where, and for how long the music lives,” he explained.
Industry tradition, he said, is largely to blame.
“Record labels typically provide funding, marketing, studio time, and access structures designed around performers.
“In exchange, they demand ownership of the catalogue.
“The problem is that this system rarely considers the producer or songwriter as equally entitled to long-term rewards.
“Too often, they walk away with a one-time fee, even if their work turns into a global hit.”Ayinoluwa said.
He cited the case of beatmakers and songwriters whose contributions fuel viral hits, yet who struggle to pay rent after accepting flat fees in place of royalties.
“They exchanged ownership for visibility, but visibility doesn’t pay the bills.”
Ayinoluwa likened catalogues to real estate.
“Music is property. Just like land, it can appreciate, it can be sold, leased, licensed, or inherited.
“When you give up ownership, you’re giving up future rent, potentially for life.
“A $2,000 beat fee might look attractive today, but that same beat could bring in half a million dollars over the years through sync deals, streaming, and partnerships,” he said.
He emphasised that understanding the music value chain is now a necessity for African creatives.
“Anyone making music must know how publishing works, the difference between licensing and assigning rights, how to register with PROs and CMOs, and how streaming revenue is actually split.
“The artistes who will thrive are the ones who understand both their art and its economics,” he said.
