Timaya Reflects: Breaking Into the Music Industry Is Now Easier Than Ever

Renowned Nigerian artist Timaya has expressed that joining the music scene in today’s era is significantly easier compared to the early 2000s to 2010s, the period during which he gained popularity alongside his peers.

While appearing on a recent episode of the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast, hosted by Joey Akan, the ‘Egberi Papa 1 of Bayelsa’ attributed the shift to the rise of digital technology and the widespread use of social media platforms.

“Creating music is now simpler for today’s generation of artists compared to when I started. Back then, it was challenging to gain recognition. There was a time when just one person had control over everything,” he said.

Recalling his collaboration with Flavour on the song Odeshi, Timaya revealed that acquiring rights to older tracks was complex.

“For that ‘Odeshi’ track with Flavour, we discovered the catalog was owned by Premier Music. We tried to remake ‘Can I Have A Dance?’ and had to go back to Premier to pay again,” he explained.

Timaya emphasized that aspiring artists today can easily acquire studio gear and go viral from home with just one hit track.

“Nowadays, your parents can get you basic studio equipment. Create a solid track, register yourself, and go viral on TikTok. All you need is internet data,” he remarked.

He further reflected on the struggle older musicians faced getting airplay on radio stations.

“It was tough then. Before your song could even play on the radio, it took serious effort. Today, you just upload your song online, and you could blow overnight from your bedroom,” he said.

Though he appreciates how much more accessible the music business has become, Timaya admitted the new digital era is still a bit overwhelming for him.

“I like how fast it is now, but I didn’t start that way, so it’s stressful for me. Posting content frequently gets tiring. Sometimes I feel like I shouldn’t even bother. But this is showbiz—we have to keep up.”