Nollywood producers can’t freely use Afrobeats songs in movies anymore – Dami Twitch

Music video director and filmmaker Dami Twitch has said Nollywood producers can no longer freely use Afrobeats songs in movies without obtaining the necessary permissions and licences.

Twitch made the assertion during a recent episode of the Afropolitan podcast, where he discussed the growing challenges facing collaboration between Nigeria's film and music industries.

According to him, the increasing number of Afrobeats artists signing publishing and rights agreements with foreign companies has made it more difficult for filmmakers to secure music for their productions.

He explained that even personal relationships with artists do not guarantee access to their songs because many musicians no longer have full control over the rights to their catalogues.

“Nollywood producers can’t freely use Afrobeats songs in movies anymore. Some artists have already sold their music rights, so adding their songs to films becomes difficult,” he said.

Twitch noted that licensing costs have become a major hurdle for independent filmmakers, who make up a significant portion of Nigeria's film industry.

“Even if the artist is my friend, they can’t give me permission to use their song freely because they have already entered a contract. That is a major challenge in the movie industry,” he added.

The filmmaker said the situation has created a difficult relationship between Nollywood and the Afrobeats sector, with many producers unable to afford the fees required to legally use popular songs in their projects.

“The collaboration between Nollywood and Afrobeats is at a very weird place right now. A lot of producers can’t afford putting Afrobeats songs in their movies unless a big studio or investor supports them. Nigerian producers are mostly independent filmmakers so a lot of us won’t be able to afford it,” Twitch stated.

He said the challenge highlights the financial realities facing independent producers and the evolving business structure of Nigeria’s entertainment industry.