Stonebwoy
DANCEHALL ACT, Stonebwoy, has revealed that gains from various digital streaming platforms does not really benefit artistes in some parts of the African continent.
Addressing the creative economy at the Drive to Inspire Africa event held on the sidelines of the Africa Prosperity Dialogues 2026, Stonebwoy indicated that sadly, streaming does not generate significant financial returns.
“The sad part of it is that the streams, actually, in this part of the world, to choose my words carefully, do not pay,” he stated.
Stonebwoy further indicated that for Spotify, “You need like 250 to 333 plays to earn $1, with an average payout of 0.003 to 0.005 per stream. So you can imagine what you get out of $1 after 333 plays. Alright? That’s for Spotify.”
He continued, “So Apple pays and you earn 0.006 to 0.01 per stream by playing 100 to 143 times. So if… Amazon, also, you can check for the rest. 250 plays to earn $1 and the payout is 0.004. So this means that you’ll need like millions and millions and millions. A large chunk of those monies are made by the platform owners and those who ordered the distribution, yes, please, basically. So in a nutshell, you’ll need to do much more than having the music on streaming platforms to make income.”
Stonebwoy called on artistes to turn their attention to performances, brand endorsements and appearances to earn more income instead of solely relying on payouts from streaming platforms.
“Diversifying your income is essential to reinvesting in yourself. These are vital points for sustaining one’s income. When it comes to music, it’s important to consider opportunities like music synchronisation deals, which can often generate more revenue than streaming alone,” he pointed out.
Stonebwoy indicated that, “Those were the days when we believed that making sales online directly translated to actually selling our music or singles for profit. Unfortunately, that’s not the reality, especially in this part of the world.”
He added that, “Merchandising is another avenue that generates income for an artiste’s career. While streaming is incredible, often it is free and doesn’t contribute significantly to overall earnings. We need to explore all aspects that can enhance an artiste’s revenue.”
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke