2 hours ago
9
October 25, (THEWILL) – Nigerian singer and songwriter, Inetimi Odom, popularly known as Timaya, has expressed concern over the soaring costs of music video production and promotion, which, according to him, now exceed N100 million.
Timaya was addressing the general assumption that Nigerian music stars demand exorbitant show performance fees, shedding light on the financial challenges that come with producing music and videos.
The hitmaker contrasted the current expenses with the much lower costs of previous years.
The Port Harcourt-born singer, who rose to fame in 2005, revealed that producing a high-quality music video in the past would usually cost around N1.5 million.
However, the price has skyrocketed, now ranging between N50 million and N100 million. This surge, he explained, isn’t only for the production quality but also due to the high cost of promoting songs.
Timaya stated, “Before, we used to shoot music videos for N1.5 million. Today, it’s N50 million, N60 million, even N100 million.”
The 2018 Grammy-nominated singer pointed out that artistes have to spend millions promoting their work after the video is complete, which contributes to the overall cost and influences the fees musicians charge for performances.
“When you call these young artistes, they tell you N50 million, N30 million, because they’re spending a lot of money and need to make it back.”
In addition to the rising production costs, the 44-year-old highlighted the current economic difficulties, particularly in Nigeria.
Since President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 inauguration and the subsequent removal of fuel subsidy, Nigeria has faced significant price increases and a higher cost of living.
The crooner maintained that while the world is going through financial hardships, the situation in Nigeria is especially dire.
He further lamented the increased cost of living, which has drastically affected his staff salaries and family expenses.
The singer said, “Things are really hard. I feel for people because if they aren’t happy, I can’t be happy. I help a lot of people, pay bills, and understand what people are going through. I’m also feeling the hardship.
“You don’t expect things to be normal. Even politicians are crying, not to mention us. If you’re not earning in foreign exchange, it’s very hard to keep up.”
Timaya added that even in places like the United States of America where people earn and spend in dollars, the economic situation is challenging, but it is particularly severe in Nigeria.
