Music video director turned filmmaker, Dami Twitch has said that Nollywood producers can no longer freely use Afrobeats songs in movies without getting proper permission.
He made this known during a recent appearance on the Afropolitan podcast, where he explained that most Afrobeats artists now have international publishing and distribution deals with foreign music companies.
According to him, this new arrangement has made it difficult for filmmakers to easily license popular songs, as usage now comes with high legal and financial requirements.
Twitch added that many Nollywood producers are unable to afford the cost of clearing Afrobeats tracks unless they are backed by major investors or large studios.
He said this situation is creating a growing gap between the Nigerian film industry and the music industry.
“Nollywood producers can’t freely use Afrobeats songs in movies anymore. Many artists have already signed away their music rights, so it becomes hard to include their songs in films,” he explained.
He further noted that even personal relationships with artists no longer guarantee permission, because most of them are bound by legal contracts with record labels and publishers.
“Even if the artist is my friend, they may not be able to give permission because of existing agreements. That is one of the biggest challenges right now,” he said.
Twitch also described the current relationship between Nollywood and Afrobeats as “complicated,” saying independent filmmakers are the most affected since they often work with limited budgets.
He concluded that without strong financial backing, many Nigerian producers will struggle to include popular Afrobeats songs in their movie projects going forward.