The Cameroonian music sector has just reached a new level in its race towards professionalization. The Cameroon Music Council has drawn up a roadmap for the industrialization of the sector. This is through the initiative entitled: “Les Chantiers musicals du Cameroun”. A concept that took place in three distinct stages, from February to June 2024.
The first phase made it possible to draw up a precise inventory of the Cameroonian music industry, drawing on the expertise of some sixty professionals from the ten regions of the country. This phase also made it possible to identify the most structured players in the sector. The second phase consisted of strengthening the capacities of around thirty of these key players, through training and skills-building workshops. These workshops, organized on the sidelines of the Yaoundé Music Expo (Yamex), allowed participants to acquire technical and methodological tools enabling them to better manage their activities and contribute to the structuring of the sector. The third and final phase was devoted to the drafting of a “Development Plan for the Music Industry in Cameroon”. This framework document, developed by the CCM’s scientific committee, offers an in-depth analysis of the situation of music in Cameroon, as well as concrete solutions for the development of the sector in the short, medium and long term.
The Music Industry Development Plan proposed by this organization constitutes a valuable roadmap for the years to come. It will help guide investments and public actions in favor of the music sector, and create an environment favorable to the emergence of internationally renowned Cameroonian talents. Concretely, the CCM will create and structure a network of professionals throughout the territory, contribute to the training and professionalization of Cameroonian music players and finally the implementation of short, medium and long-term objectives of the plan presented last month to the general public.
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE PROSPECTS
This initiative by the CCM comes in a context where the Cameroonian music industry is facing a number of challenges, including the predominant informal sector. According to the CCM, 89% of music professionals are active in the production of musical works on the national stage. On the other hand, only 6% are involved in broadcasting, and 5% in promotion, indicates the same source. With more than 15,000 artists, the music industry represents considerable economic potential. According to Melwater, a media monitoring platform, internet statistical data for 2024 show a rapidly changing digital landscape in Cameroon. With an estimated penetration rate of 43.9%, or 12.73 million internet users, and 5.05 million social media users, or 17.4% of the total population estimated at more than 28 million inhabitants. These data promise considerable momentum for the music economy, as well as the streaming industry. Moreover, Colorfol, a digital platform developed by a Cameroonian start-up, which allows users to access audio and video content promoting African music and independent artists is trying to establish itself in this market. Other platforms include BoomPlay and Deezer.
According to the Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSEA), the contribution of the ICT sector in Cameroon amounts to about 5% of GDP. This indeed demonstrates a potential for additional growth thanks to the expansion of its digital infrastructure. Overall, the digital economy in Africa is growing, with ambitious projections for the coming decades. By 2025, it could represent 5.2% of the continent’s GDP, an amount estimated at more than $180 billion. In the longer term, by 2050, this figure could reach $712 billion. A prospective study conducted by Dataxis and published in June 2022 also reveals that revenues from African music streaming are expected to experience significant growth. They are expected to triple over the next five years, from $92.9 million in 2021 to $314.6 million in 2026. This trend is a testament to the rise of digital music on the African continent.
Reaction
“Allowing the artist to participate in the state’s tax base”
I will explain why it is necessary for professionals to create companies. In Cameroon, the legal framework requires that a label producer, for example, when he makes a deal, even if it is one-off, in the case of a concert or a call for tenders from a mobile operator, who tells him: “I need your artist, I will pay you a million FCFA”, must know that the label will never receive this money in cash if it exceeds 100,000 FCFA, and this is what the current finance law stipulates. As a company, we must collect taxes on the company and on the profits made. So, they immediately understand what is at stake. We had a workshop on financing musical projects where we had a representative from the world of finance who explained that the artist is disconnected from the economy of culture.
However, he is a taxpayer like any other, and in relation to a service he provides, he is paid. This allows the artist to participate in the State’s tax base. This is a bit of the plea that we are going to make to the State. The data reveals that the entire body of the music industry is more than 15,000 souls. Imagine the potential in terms of economic contribution, we just need to regulate all that. Today, as a company, to have its Unique Identification Number (NIU). What people don’t know is that it is the same constraint for the average taxpayer, even me as an individual, I must have a NIU, because it is now impossible to open a current account without this number. The only difficulty that needs to be overcome in the banks’ process is when they ask an artist for proof of income. It’s complicated because he doesn’t have a pay slip, he doesn’t receive a regular monthly salary and he can’t provide supporting documents. On the other hand, he can guarantee that he is recognized in the corporation as a music professional, so, whatever happens, he has income. The banking product must be adapted to the artist’s environment.
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