MTV’s Oyeneye tells GH musicians: Own your music videos

Solafunmi Oyeneye, Senior Channels Manager of MTV Base, has advised Ghanaian musicians to own their music videos and not leave everything to video directors.

Oyeneye made this call when she spoke on the topic Making Your Music Video Work For You at a seminar under the theme The Future of Music Business organised by Charterhouse at the Alisa Hotel on Friday, May 17,2019 as part of activities marking the 20th anniversary of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards(VGMA).

“Don’t leave it to the video director alone after all it is your own song. Nobody can own your intellectual property more than you and nobody can market it more than you", Oyeneye said.

Oyeneye looked at what makes a great music video and suggested that artistes should first look at how good the song is, map up a good 360 degrees marketing plan, organise listening sessions and invite industry players, promote their songs on YouTube among others.

“Let the kind of genre of music you do reflect in your music videos and take note of proper editing, cinematography, ie camera angles all go a long way to ensure a good video. Don’t spend more than you necessarily have to,” Oyeneye said.

Oyeneye also gave MTV’s perspective saying a committee is always set to scrutinize and select what to put on air, “ the video must pass production quality – the pictures, editing etc”, she concluded.

In her welcome address, Theresa Ayoade, CEO of Charterhouse, organisers of VGMA, said it’s been a long journey, “I sometimes ask myself, where did all the years go? But here we are 20 years down the line and still going.

“We have invited a lot of international speakers to help us push our music out there, as we dress up for the awards we deemed it necessary to look at the business aspect of music and that is why we have put this seminar together.

"We believe that at the end of this session we will all learn something that will be beneficial to our career,” she said.

The Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Barbara Oteng-Gyasi who was the guest speaker at the occasion assured industry people that her outfit will organise masterclasses for players in the creative arts industry to keep them updated on trends in the industry.

Mrs Oteng-Gyasi expressed her excitement at being part of the seminar, ”I hope that all your hopes and aspirations will be realised during my tenure, I believe that this seminar is a very important one and I am glad to participate.

“We are hopeful that before the end of the year, the Creative Arts Bill will be passed, we need to know that even though the creative aspect of music is paramount, we need to know that music is business,” she said.

“Vodafone and Charterhouse have contributed immensely to the industry, Charterhouse has consistently organised the VGMAs for 20 years and ought to be commended.”

Making a presentation on The role of Vodafone Music App in the music business, Julius Owusu-Sekyere of VAS and Content, Vodafone said they want to move from an event sponsor to a music platform provider.

“Vodafone Music is an audio streaming platform, a content cut for all genres of music, on Vodafone Music, you only pay access fee, we have spoken to almost all artistes in Ghana to be on My Vodafone Music and we hope to get all of them on board,” he said.

“We are in an era where musicians give content to platforms who pay them nothing simply because they want to publicise their works but that should not be they case, they are supposed to earn from their works,” he stated.

Other speakers were Ben Oldfield, Vice President of Sony Music whose presentation was on New Developments in the Music Business, Setor Quashigah of Standard Chartered, Ghana, who spoke on Future Wellness while there was a one-on-one with Kanya King, CBE, Founder of MOBO Awards, UK.

Speaking on the sidelines of the seminar, songstress Yaa Yaa was full of praises for the organisers, “I think it is a great initiative, I say thank you to Charterhouse and the sponsors who made it possible.

“The average musician is looking for ways to stream their music, we ought to know how musicians earn their royalties and platforms like this go a long way to help, I call it guidance in the right direction, we also get to network which is also very important,” she said.

Veteran musician, Bessa Simmons expressed his thought on the seminar saying “I think it is very good, it is needed, it is one of the missing links in Ghana. We are at a point where we have to collaborate and we should know where we can send our videos to.

'It’s an eyeopener for everybody. These are things MUSIGA should champion so that our members can get their works out there,” he concluded.

 Some pictures from the seminar

Tourism Minister, Mrs Barbara Oteng-Gyasi (secong right) and other guests at the high table

CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority, Mr Kwadwo Antwi in chat with former MUSIGA president, Mrs Diana Hopeson

Rapper, Edem

Della Hayes (right) and a participant

Diana Antwi Hamilton

Highlife artiste, Bessa Simons

Songstress, Yaa Yaa

MC, Ruddy Kwakye

Blogger, Pep Junia

Organiser of 3Music Awards, Sadiq Abdulai

Publicist and Blogger, Elorm Beenie