Veteran Nigerian singer Timaya asserts that it’s significantly easier for new artistes to succeed in today’s music industry due to technological advancements and social media, a stark contrast to his early career struggles

Veteran Nigerian singer Timaya has stated that it is significantly easier for emerging artistes to break into the music industry today compared to when he started his career.

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The renowned musician made these remarks during an insightful interview on the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast, hosted by Joey Akan.

According to Timaya, advances in technology and the pervasive rise of social media platforms have made music production and promotion far more accessible and efficient for new musicians.

He candidly explained, “Making music is easier for the new crop of musicians than in my time. Ahn ahn, before how do you want to blow? It’s only one person that has all the control.”

Timaya vividly recalled the substantial challenges he faced in his early days, citing the arduous process of clearing rights for his collaboration with Flavour on the song “Odeshi.”

He shared, “We got to realise that it was Premier Music that has the catalogue. We wanted to do ‘Can I Have A Dance?’, who did we contact? Premier. We paid again.”

He drew a sharp contrast with today’s landscape: “Your father or your mother can just buy you studio equipment, you do one bad song. You can even just register yourself. One TikTok song and you are made. All you need is data.”

Timaya also described the immense difficulty of gaining radio play during his formative years in the industry. “Before dem go play your song sef for radio station enh! Ahhh! It was difficult,” he lamented, underscoring the gatekeeping challenges of the past.

He acknowledged the unprecedented speed at which new artists can now rise to fame through various digital platforms. “Now you are uploading a song.

It’s very very fast to blow now. You can just be in your house and be shouting,” he observed, reflecting on the rapid viral potential of modern music.

Despite embracing these new realities and recognising their benefits, Timaya admitted that the relentless pressure of maintaining a constant online presence is personally challenging for him.

“I also like it. But because I didn’t start like that, it’s difficult for me. It’s stressful posting. Sometimes, I think I don’t have to. But it’s the business, I got to,” he concluded, highlighting the ongoing demands of the contemporary music landscape even for established artistes.