Interview: Eric Musyoka on the state of Kenya’s music industry

Attempts to reform the sector remain formidable, with most of the people charged with this responsibility either lacking industry knowledge or the will to spearhead change. This is not to say that no one is trying; despite the challenges that abound, there have always been small groups of industry insiders championing reforms – groups whose unifying vision is to see a thriving Kenyan music market where the right people get rewarded.

One such group is the Recording Industry of Kenya (RIKE). Launched in October 2023, RIKE is composed of individuals with a wealth of knowledge and extensive music industry experience. Led by veteran Kenyan producer Eric Musyoka as its chairperson, the trade association’s goal is to ensure that the recorded music ecosystem is protected across its various revenue streams, including the digital space.

Music In Africa caught up with Musyoka who offered his perspective on the state of the Kenyan music industry and RIKE’s mandate.

MUSIC IN AFRICA: What are some of the biggest challenges facing the Kenyan music industry?

ERIC MUSYOKA: The Kenyan music sector, just like any other in the world, has its own set of challenges. The first has to do with the collective management organisations [CMOs]. We still have a lot of challenges with the CMO sector, but I can say great improvements have happened over the years to enable musicians to earn fair royalties. There are still management and accountability issues, but with use of technology some of these challenges are being addressed. The second challenge is lack of investor confidence. Most investors are not willing to invest in artist development due to fear that returns are not guaranteed.

What is the root cause and how can these challenges be overcome?

Music industry management is still not optimised for maximum output. We have a dynamic industry that still needs proper policies enforced and systems put in place to enable investors to reap from their investments. Most of our problems are historical since the industry has progressively grown on individual understanding and practices rather than on systematic order. Thus it has been more of a Wild West scenario where what works for one individual doesn’t work for all and a lot of guesswork is used. We need to have functional and verifiable modalities of managing not just musicians but all creatives.

What is RIKE’s mandate in shaping the Kenyan music ecosystem?

Our mandate is simple and concise. We aim to be the voice of recorded music in Kenya by creating systems and structure that will improve investor confidence in the industry and also deploying best practices in management of music assets such as issuing ISRC codes, monitoring music consumption for charting purposes, certification of music sales and streaming, rewarding artists and recognising talent through an award show, and formulating policies that are in line with best standards that the government and other stakeholders can implement to improve the state of the industry.

What are some of the urgent issues you intend to address?

Anti-piracy policy and the streamlining of CMO operations are some of the key issues that need immediate and long-lasting solutions. We are embedded in key task force committees that are looking at addressing these issues in the short term so that we can unlock the impasse between artists and CMOs and create an enabling environment for negotiations on how best to manage our music industry and creative economy in general.

What are the key developments since the launch of RIKE?

Being relatively new, we still have huge milestones ahead for us, but we do have our short-, medium- and long-term goals. Our key goal is to increase our membership, which we have been aggressively pursuing. We have also now been officially recognised by the the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry as the national group for Kenya and we are in the process creating workshops for sensitisation and pushing to have Kenya sign the anti-piracy WIPO [World Intellectual Property Organization] treaty.

You said that RIKE plans to start certifying Kenyan music sales. How do you intend to do this and why is this important?

Certification is very important, as it allows artists to have a data-driven, in-depth and verifiable understanding of how their music is selling and streaming. This will inform their marketing strategies to maximise on consumption of their music and provide them with the clout to boost their brand value. It’s done by consolidating data from streaming services, physical sales and downloaded music. Through the use of a mathematical formula, we can analyse the weight of the sale and streaming data to compute the value of this data, which will then be presented as either a gold, diamond or platinum certificate.

Are there other areas of reform that RIKE is interested in pursuing?

We have a long journey ahead of us and all I can say is that we aim to maximise on all available opportunities, both current and those that will present themselves in the future in the recorded music industry to enable artists, musicians and all stakeholders to achieve success and create a robust and sustainable industry.

What opportunities exist for the players in the industry, be they artists, producers or promoters?

The opportunities are immense. Kenya has a very aggressive and dynamic market that is consumer-based and loves to be entertained. You can attest this by the number of entertainment joints and activities on offer almost every day for every market segment. We are also an educated market that has a taste for quality and fine things. We have a robust economy that is growing fast, and we are big at embracing technology, which has become a key component in music production and consumption. We have a young vibrant age group that consumes entertainment products, so content creation is a big opportunity and hence as an artist you can leverage this to market your music and reach a wider audience.

Are you optimistic about the Kenyan music industry turning the corner?

Very, otherwise I would not be here at RIKE. We have a very good industry that if well managed can transform the fortunes of many and create a sustainable industry for generations to come. We just need to iron out the kinks so that we can begin enjoying the rewards of our talents.