Nigerian singer Bella Shmurda, whose real name is Abiola Ahmed Akinbiyi, has voiced his worries about the rising cost of promoting music in the country.
Speaking during an interview with Naija FM, Lagos, the “Cash App” hitmaker said that many artists are now hesitant to release new songs or albums because promotion has become very expensive.
According to Bella, producing and promoting an album requires a huge budget since artists have to promote multiple songs at once.
“To release an album, you need a big budget, unlike singles,” he explained. “You’re promoting 10 to 14 songs all at once — it’s a lot.”
He also pointed out that the cost of shooting music videos has increased drastically.
“These days, the least you can spend on a music video is ₦20 million,” Bella said. “So how many artists can afford to shoot five or six videos?”
Bella added that the high costs are discouraging many talented musicians from putting out new projects.
