MUSIC

Information Minister Endorses The Use Of Bar Code In Nigeria Music And Movies To Curb Piracy

Published

8 years ago

August 14, 2016

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has endorsed the use of barcode in Nigerian movies and music as a measure to protect intellectual properties from undue exploitation.

Lai Muhammed

The Minister, who was responding to a request to that effect by the Caretaker Committee of the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) who paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja on Friday, advised the Association to also liaise with the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) and other regulatory bodies to ensure the success of the new measure.

“You asked that we make a declaration making it illegal for NTA, FRCN and other radio and television stations from using any music or movie, which is not barcoded…I think what we should do is to work through the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), NCC and other regulatory bodies,” he said.

Barcode is a machine-readable representation of data, which provides information about the objects that carry such codes. In the movie and music industry, It can be used to separate original works from fake ones, thus preventing buyers as well as radio and television stations from patronizing pirated works.

Alhaji Mohammed decried how trillions of Naira are being lost through copyrights infringement and stressed the need to re-invigorate institutional structures to block areas of leakages in order to rake in more revenue for the government and also allow artistes to enjoy the fruits of their labour.

He also enjoined players in the creative industry to buy into the innovative ways the government is employing to fight piracy through the Digital Switch Over in broadcasting.

“I think you also have to buy into the new digitization programme of the Federal Government because that will be a more effective way to fighting piracy than what we have today…… When you release your work online then there are no CDs to pirate. If I want to buy I (must) pay and it comes straight to me,” he remarked.

The Minister said another advantage of the digital regime is the multiplicity of channels to broadcast content, thereby creating more demand for content.

He said the government is working to turn the creative industry into a viable economy and appealed for private sector investment in production and post-production studios as a deliberate effort to curb capital flight to countries with hi-tech production infrastructure.

“If you can convince the private sector on the viability of the creative industry, you are going to see change. What the private sector needs are figures, data and balance-sheet,” said Alhaji Mohammed.

The Minister also sought the support of PMAN towards the National Re-orientation Campaign of the Federal Government, tagged “Change Begins with Me,” which is to be launched soon, saying creative artistes are influential members of the society who can take the message of change in attitude to the various strata of society.

He agreed to partner with PMAN to organise a Creative Economy Conference with a view to bringing on board all stakeholders to brainstorm on the development of the industry.

In his remarks, the President of the Caretaker Committee of PMAN, Mr. Pretty Okafor, said the music industry is the biggest employer of labour in Nigeria with over 12 million people gainfully engaged.

Mr. Okafor said according to a recent study, the nation’s creativity industry is worth N15 trillion, but that over N10 trillion is lost through national and global piracy.

He said government stands to earn N3 trillion annually in both Value Added Tax and taxable income through the introduction of systematic ways to track revenue accruing to the sector and curbing piracy.
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MUSIC

Tems’ “For Broken Ears” EP Gets Historic RIAA Certification

Published

2 days ago

May 17, 2024

Reporter

"For Broken Ears" EP gets historic RIAA certification | fab.ng

Tems has become the first female artist from Nigeria to have a project certified gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). This prestigious achievement belongs to her 2020 debut EP, “For Broken Ears.” The EP has now surpassed 500,000 units sold in the United States.

“For Broken Ears” is a 7-track project that launched Tems’ career. It includes the hit singles “Free Mind” and “Higher,” both of which became big tunes in the US.

Tems’ international fame truly skyrocketed with her collaboration with Wizkid on the global smash “Essence.” This launched her into superstardom. Singles like “Higher” and “Free Mind” continued to impress on the US charts. “Free Mind” even spent a significant amount of time on the Billboard Hot 100.

This RIAA Gold certification puts Tems in an elite category.

Tems’ ‘For Broken Ears’ has now sold over 500,000 units in the US (@temsbaby). pic.twitter.com/K0xb65XusR

— chart data (@chartdata) May 16, 2024

She joins fellow Nigerians Rema and Wizkid as the only artists from the country to have RIAA-certified projects. Wizkid’s album “Made In Lagos” and Rema’s debut album “Raves & Roses” also achieved gold status.

Tems’ hot streak is showing no signs of stopping. With her highly anticipated debut full-length album, “Born In The Wild,” dropping on June 7th, 2024, she’s poised for even more success. To keep fans buzzing, she’s already released singles like “Me & U,” “Not An Angel,” and the recent “Love Me Jeje,” which samples a classic Nigerian song by Seyi Sodimu & Shaffy Bello.

And there’s more! Tems also has a chance to add to her collection of accolades at the upcoming 2024 BET Awards. She’s nominated for both Best Video Director and Best Gospel/Inspirational Song for her work on “Me & U.” This talented singer, songwriter, and director is definitely an artist to watch!

EVENTS

Tems To Perform Her New Single On “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”

Published

3 days ago

May 17, 2024

Reporter

Nigerian superstar Tems is returning to the stage on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on May 20th, 2024. This will be her second appearance on the show. In 2021, she joined Wizkid to perform their massive hit “Essence,” which has won multiple awards.

Tems is using this appearance to promote her highly anticipated debut album, “Born In The Wild.” The album is set to drop on June 7th, 2024. So, to build excitement, she’s already released several singles. They include “Me & U,” “Not An Angel,” and her most recent, “Love Me Jeje.” “Love Me Jeje” samples a classic song by Seyi Sodimu & Shaffy Bello.

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Tems’ rise to fame has been meteoric. Since her breakout collaboration with Wizkid on “Essence” in 2020, she’s become one of Africa’s biggest music stars. Her talent has landed her collaborations with global artists like Beyoncé, Drake, and Future. The latter’s “Wait For U” earned her a Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance.

On top of all that, Tems just received nominations for Best Video Director and Best Gospel/Inspirational Song for “Me & U” at the 2024 BET Awards.

This talented singer, songwriter, and now director is definitely one to watch! Don’t miss Tems performance on “The Tonight Show.” Also, keep an eye out for her debut album coming next month.

MUSIC

Spotify Names Ayra Starr EQUAL Africa And Global Artist For May 2024

Published

3 days ago

May 17, 2024

Reporter

Ayra Starr is Spotify's global artist for May 2024 | Fab.ng

Rising star Ayra Starr is the latest Spotify EQUAL and global artist. This makes Ayra Starr the second African artist to be named both an EQUAL Africa and a global artist. Tiwa Savage is the first.

Indeed, this is a major accomplishment for Ayra Starr. She’s been making waves with her Afrobeats hits like “Rush,” “Sability,” and “Rhythm & Blues.” Spotify’s EQUAL programme is all about supporting and empowering female artists in the music industry.

In 2023 alone, Spotify ran 15 EQUAL activations, leading to over 14.8 million new artist discoveries. Additionally, EQUAL artists received a whopping 11,800 editorial playlist placements.

Ayra Starr’s latest song, “Commas,” has already racked up over 35 million streams on Spotify. She recently spoke about her unique musical style and how it’s helped her carve her own space in the industry. She also expressed her excitement about being selected for the EQUAL programme.

“I am grateful to become a Spotify EQUAL Ambassador. It means so much to me to be able to represent women in Afrobeats and African women in general. There are so many women in music right now, and the EQUAL programme is doing a great job in highlighting their hard work.”

The Grammy-nominated singer is about to drop her second album. The album is titled “The Year I Turned 21.” It is set to be released sometime this month, in May 2024.

Ayra Atarr at the Grammys

Excerpts from the interview with Ayra Starr on the Spotify EQUAL programme:

How is the Spotify EQUAL programme significant, from your perspective?

There are so many women in music today, behind the scenes, in front of the camera, musicians, and sound engineers, all these women working hard and Spotify EQUAL is doing a great job in highlighting all their hard work.

What does this mean to you as a person, being Spotify’s EQUAL artist for the month, both from an African and Global perspective?

It means everything to me because I am a girl and I have to support my gender and level the playing field.

To someone who has never heard your music, how would you describe the sound, tone, and style?

I would describe my sound as highly vibrational, eccentric, unique, and beautiful.

Are we expecting any music from you anytime soon?

Yes. I have a new single with Seyi Vibes called ‘Bad Vibes’ and I can’t wait for you guys to hear it. It’s amazing, and it’s one of those songs that makes you feel good. The best part about it is that it’s not just a regular Afrobeat record; it’s like genres intertwined.

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