The Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) has held a day’s music seminar in Accra to upgrade the skills of music industry players at the Virtual Hub Gh located at East Legon (MTN office) in Accra.
Organised in partnership with the Music In Africa Foundation, the seminar was on the theme: “Leveraging Digital Tools for Career Enhancement.”
It was organised to encourage Ghanaian music stakeholders to take advantage of the digital platforms to promote their various musical works.
It is part of the Music In Africa Live (MIAL) project which is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office, Siemens Stiftung and Goethe-Institut.
Speaking at the seminar, a tech consultant, Kobby Spiky Nkrumah, described data as the new currency for the music business.
According to him, musicians and their management need to understand their data to enable them to use it effectively.
Spiky Nkrumah said, “The creative industry in Ghana isn’t leveraging the plethora of digital opportunities available.”
According to the tech expert, if creatives mine their data effectively, they can monetise their digital platforms effectively. Spiky Nkrumah, who also hosts Geek Squad on Joy FM, advised participants to think global for their careers, and also advised them on how to use the various social media platforms.
On his part, Prof. Emmanuel Osei Akyeampong, a strategy and brand expert and lecturer with GIMPA, told the participants that their brand equity will determine their worth in the industry.
He advised them to pay special attention to their brand values since that is what will determine their longevity.
Referring to artistes such as the Tagoe Sisters who were at the seminar and Bessa Simons, Acting President of MUSIGA, he noted that it is because they are true to their brand values that they are still relevant in the music industry.
Prof. Akyeampong also took participants through the process of building and maintaining their brands, the tangibles that will manifest their brands, and the intangibles that will underpin their brands. These include the quality of their brands and the emotional benefits their listeners and fans can derive from them.
In his presentation, Ahuma Bosco Ocansey, Director of Communications and Special Projects with MUSIGA and General Manager of Ahotor 92.3 FM, took participants through a journey on the history of the music business and the various key developments in the industry. He then zoned into the opportunities presented by the internet and how to leverage those opportunities.