Music and piracy

 So the music industry in Zimbabwe is on its knees while piracy continues to thrive. Artists in Zimbabwe have had to come to terms with fact that they cannot make a living out of CD sells alone.I haven’t seen a music store in ages apart from the regular street vendors selling pirated copies.The rise of the internet has put the final nail on the coffin on what used to be a profitable career. But is the music industry in Zimbabwe also to blame for failing to embrace the digital age?

Oddly enough, artists in Zimbabwe do not generate much monetary gain from CD sells. CD's have become more of a promotional flyer rather than an adequate source of revenue, artists now have to rely on gigs and concerts to make something out of their careers. Artists in Zimbabwe have never quite hit that half a million mark in terms of album sales, the highest selling artist being Aleck Macheso’s Simbaradzo which moved 300 000 copies. Today such numbers have become almost impossible to reach especially with piracy rearing its ugly head in the industry. For most people it has become a bit of a no brainer to choose between a $10 original copy and $1 pirated one or even downloading it illegally online. When it comes to music people have become accustomed to an “I want I get” kind of attitude. You hear a song you like, all you have to do is take out your smartphone, search for it, download it and it’s yours.

The record companies in Zimbabwe are partly to blame for this, none of them have an online presence where people can easily access their favorite tunes digitally. The record companies such as Gramma Records are seeing the consequences of this. There is nothing which seeks to promote digital sells of local content. This has seen artists get rid of the middle man and sell their own records at their live performances. Though not as a profitable as can be, it is way better than spending large sums on distribution on an CD that no one will buy.

The music industry in Zimbabwe has to tap into the digital world, provide an online outlet where people can easily download their favorite songs and in turn not robbing local artists blind. If an album can be downloaded for reasonable amount, say $5, people may be willing to pay for it. Of course they are some who are unable to have access to the internet. Not solely relying on CD sells but digital downloads as well would allow for cd prices to drop and make them more affordable. Most people would willingly part with a few dollars for an original copy, album art and everything which they can have forever rather than buy a dollar pirated copy which might not even last a week.

Musician and their labels in Zimbabwe need to move towards online methods of distributing their products rather than rely on cd sells,that is if they want to survive.