DTI-A, Next Up @ APD26: Stonebwoy urges artists to explore beyond streaming for revenue
Renowned Ghanaian musician Stonebwoy has called on artists to diversify their revenue streams, highlighting the limitations of earning solely from digital music platforms.
He made the call at the Powered by Drive to Inspire — Africa (DTI-A) NextUp breakfast meeting, held at the Accra International Conference Centre on the sidelines of the Africa Prosperity Dialogues 2026 on Wednesday, 4th February 2026. As the name suggests, NextUp emphasizes that African youth are next in line for global leadership, economic growth, expanded opportunities, and greater recognition on the world stage.
During the session, the panelists explored the creative economy, with Vanessa Appiagyei, lawyer, serving as the moderator of the breakfast meeting.
Stonebwoy noted that the shift from physical music formats to streaming has created serious challenges for artists, especially in this part of the world.
He explained that vinyl records once held significant musical history and valuable data, but with the industry’s transition into streaming, the revenue artists earn from digital platforms has become very limited.
Referencing figures from major streaming services, Stonebwoy pointed out that Spotify, for instance, requires about 250 to 333 plays to generate just one dollar, with an average payout of $0.003 to $0.005 per stream. Apple Music, he added, pays roughly $0.006 to $0.01 per stream, meaning an artist would need between 100 to 143 streams to earn a dollar.
According to him, this reality means musicians must accumulate millions of streams before making any meaningful income. He noted that a large portion of streaming revenue goes to the platforms themselves and distribution systems, leaving artists with only a small share.
Stonebwoy stressed that artists can no longer depend solely on streaming for financial sustainability. Instead, they must explore other income streams such as live performances, brand endorsements, public appearances, merchandising, and synchronization deals.
He lamented that the days when selling music online felt equivalent to selling a physical body of work are gone, describing the situation as unfortunate for creatives in this region.
In his view, streaming often feels like artists are making music almost for free, while the real financial leverage comes from the additional opportunities surrounding their careers.
