Nigerian singer Abiola Ahmed Akinbiyi, popularly known as Bella Shmurda, has voiced his concern over the increasing cost of promoting music in the country.
Speaking in a recent interview with Naija FM Lagos, the Cash App hitmaker revealed that many artists are becoming hesitant to release new music, particularly albums, due to the high expenses involved in promotion and production.
He explained that the cost of shooting music videos has skyrocketed, with the lowest rate now at about N20 million.
Bella Shmurda noted that promoting a full album is far more demanding than releasing a single, as it requires significant financial investment.
He said, “To release an album, you need a huge budget, unlike singles. Because for albums, you’re promoting 10 to 14 songs all at once. It’s a lot.
“Promoting songs on the radio, shooting videos for five, six songs, is a lot. These days, the least you can spend on a music video is N20 million. So, how many artists can afford to shooting five videos?”
