Joshua Baraka has offered an insightful perspective on the differences between East Africa’s music scene and more commercially advanced markets like Nigeria.
While appearing on the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast hosted by Joey Akan and presented by OkayAfrica, he explained why competition in East Africa looks very different, especially when it comes to streaming.
In East Africa, you can’t compete in streams because people are not on streaming like that.
He also contrasted this with Nigeria, where streaming numbers are a major battleground for artists. According to him, Nigerian fans are highly engaged online and actively push their favorite artists by boosting streams.
You can’t compete in streaming like that back home because while some people may be onto it, the artists are not about it.
Baraka also highlighted a key difference in how music is created and valued. In East Africa, he believes the focus is still largely on artistry and authenticity, while other regions have adapted to a more numbers-driven approach.
Production is different because in East Africa it’s all about the art and what you make, while other countries have evolved to a point that as long as something gets you the numbers, you go for it.
Beyond streaming and production, the singer credited Nigeria’s global success to strong public engagement and conversation.
He further noted that Nigerians often discuss music and trends online, which helps shape and elevate the industry.
People are not yet digitally switched on back home. I feel like when people talk about what has made the Nigerian music industry thrive and go further, is discourse.
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