Growth of online media is increasing piracy —Ambolley asserts

VETERAN Highlife musician, Gyedu Blay Ambolley, has voiced concerns over the alarming surge of piracy in the creative industry, attributing its rise to the rapid growth in the number of online media platforms.

In an exclusive interview with Graphic Showbiz, Ambolley recalled the early days when the music industry faced fewer threats from technological hacks, and piracy was minimal.

Drawing a stark comparison between the past and the present, Ambolley noted that although piracy existed in that era, it wasn't as rife as it was today because online media was non-existent. (Young acts don’t meet my standards for collabo —Ambolley)

"Online media has undoubtedly revolutionised the way creatives work, but it has also become a double-edged sword, threatening our livelihoods and increasing piracy, as well as other practices like free downloads that deprive artistes of the rightful gains from their hard work," he said.

Expressing his deep concerns about the current state of the industry, Ambolley urged for immediate and resolute action to fight piracy, emphasising the need for a concerted effort to protect artistes and their intellectual property.

"This issue must be addressed head-on so that we don't have musicians and other creatives struggling to put their best foot forward, only to have years of hard work wiped out with just a stroke of technology," he added.