Nigerian singer Inetimi Odom, popularly known as Timaya, has expressed his frustration over the high costs of music video production and promotion, which, according to him, is now N100 million.
The ‘Dem Mama’ hitmaker voiced out during an interview with Channels Television, where he discussed the escalating financial demands in the Nigerian music industry.
Timaya contrasted the current expenses with the much lower costs of previous years.
In the interview, the artiste addressed the general assumption that Nigerian music stars demand exorbitant show performance fees, shedding light on the financial challenges that come with producing music and videos.
The Port Harcourt-born singer, who rose to fame in 2005, revealed that producing a high-quality music video in the past would usually cost around N1.5 million.
However, the price has skyrocketed, now ranging between N50 million and N100 million. This surge, he explained, isn’t only for the production quality but also due to the high cost of promoting songs.
He said: “Before, we used to shoot music videos for N1.5 million. Today, it’s N50 million, N60 million, even N100 million.”
The 2018 Grammy-nominated singer pointed out that artists have to spend millions promoting their work after the video is complete, which contributes to the overall cost and influences the fees musicians charge for performances.
“When you call these young artists, they tell you N50 million, N30 million, because they’re spending a lot of money and need to make it back.”
The 44-year-old music star’s comments have sparked discussions among industry players, many of whom also complain about the rising costs across all aspects of production—from videographers and influencers to artists themselves, all charging unprecedented fees.
