Akotchaye Okio began his career in music as an artist with the Beninese rap group Ardiess. He then pursued a career in cultural entrepreneurship by creating an international festival dedicated to urban music. After publishing a cultural magazine and serving on the board of directors of the National Artistic Ensemble of Benin, he became Channel Manager Africa at Believe. He joined Sacem in 2017 as head of international development for Africa.
Sacem's activity consists of collecting copyright royalties and redistributing them to artists and creators. What form does your work take in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa?
Sacem's mission on the continent is to contribute to collective, rational management, to contribute to a significant increase in collection, and to optimize copyright in the interests of creators and publishers. We work with all stakeholders in the music industry to advance the cause of copyright and collective management on the African continent. This involves raising awareness among decision-makers, because it is important today that there be a genuine collective will to establish copyright and ensure that it is respected. We also need to raise awareness among authors and educate them so that they fully understand the issues surrounding copyright. To this end, Sacem works alongside national collective management organizations.
On the continent, creators have high expectations, and these expectations are legitimate. From a global perspective, it is in the interest of the international music community for Africa to be a structured and well-organized territory in terms of collective management. This will benefit both African creators and international creators, since Africa is a consumer of international music. We do not claim to be able to build this alone; it is a matter of working in synergy with local, public, and private actors, as well as international actors.
After three years of activity, what is your assessment? Are things evolving as you would like?
In three years, I can see that things are moving forward, even if the need for structuring remains enormous! For example, in a country like Guinea, until recently only public broadcasting was subject to copyright (a very restrictive law dating back to the 1980s). When the winds of democracy blew across the continent, accompanied by the liberalization of the audiovisual landscape, there was a proliferation of private media outlets that did not pay copyright fees. This anomaly has recently been corrected. So things are changing.
Africa accounts for only 0.8% of copyright collections worldwide, so there is still work to be done, but we are seeing greater awareness. In Nigeria, for example, there are public funds managed by the Bank of Nigeria that are allocated to cultural and creative industries, as the country has understood that these industries are drivers of growth.
What are the drivers of the music industry on the continent?
Live and digital are the main drivers of the music industry in Africa, but unfortunately, we don't have much data to draw on. If we want to build a strong case for the cultural and creative industries, we need figures to measure the economic weight of these industries, particularly the music industry. This is essential if we want to convince decision-makers.
English-speaking Africa remains the driving force of the continent. In 2017, in South Africa, live performances accounted for nearly 57% of the music industry's revenue. In terms of digital, Nigeria is a good example: according to a study by PWC
, in 2017, digital accounted for $24 million of music revenue out of a total of $35 million.
What are the main challenges facing French-speaking Africa?
All the challenges facing the development of the music industry on the continent can be summed up in one word: structuring. Digital technology is evolving very quickly but remains largely unregulated. It is still in its infancy, which is why it is so important to structure the entire value chain. During my travels, I realized that there is a real lack of understanding of the music industry professions among the various players. All of this needs to be clarified in order to build a viable ecosystem. The arrival of the major labels contributes to this, as they are a link in the chain.
Telcos, which are the dominant players in the digital sector, must also play a role in the equitable sharing of value: these players, which used to take more than 50% of the revenue generated by online music, are beginning to see reason, to the detriment of local DSPs, which are struggling to emerge.
What actions is SACEM taking on the continent to support the music industry and creators?
SACEM has set up a self-production support system that is also open to African creators. Beyond that, we are currently supporting distribution platforms on the continent. We are partners in several events on the continent, such as FEMUA, which takes place in Côte d'Ivoire. Little by little, we are building a network that allows artists to circulate on the continent. We also support the tours of certain artists and ensure their presence at international events.
Africa is brimming with musical talent. Despite this, the continent accounts for only 2% of the global music business. How do you explain this paradox?
For me, it's a huge paradox because music permeates everyday life in Africa. It's no cliché to say that every stage of life on the continent is punctuated by music. So there is a real problem with collecting and respecting copyright. If we want to contribute to the sustainable development of cultural and creative industries on the continent, we need to ensure that creators receive a fair income.