According to singer-songwriter and pastor Moses OK, the advent of music streaming platforms destroyed the careers of some musicians.
The Gospel music star explained that this was so because the musicians could not keep up with or adapt to the change.
OK was a guest on the No.1 Live Worship programme hosted on No.1 FM, 105.3, by Apostle Bismark Owusu.
He recalled releasing his ‘Meda W’ase (I Thank You)’ album in 2007 and mentioned some of the hits on it including the title track.
At the time of the release, “there was a transition in the music industry,” he added.
Explaining, he mentioned the era “when to make music you’d go to the producer and give them the song [idea] so he handles production.” A time when “even if you had the strength but needed help, the producer could take the [music] project and promote it” for you, he described.
This all changed drastically he recalled.
“It got to a point,” he said. “All the producers withdrew their funds from the industry.”
He cited production bigwigs such as “Big Ben, John Mensah Sarpong, His Majesty Music Production, Kumasi Market [and others],” adding that: “Most of them stopped [funding music] and it happened that it started affecting some of us.”
On how this was so, he said: “The industry was migrating onto the digital platforms,” confessing that: “During those times, some of us didn’t have much knowledge about how to go about it.”
“It was new and we were also not able to capture [take advantage of] that transition,” the serial hitmaker admitted. “This made our job very difficult.”
He revealed that another daunting challenge in the Gospel music industry was paltry payment for service rendered.
According to Moses, “it was very normal” for some churches and organisations, after his service, to promise later payment and honourariums only to disappoint.
He confessed that this attitude made it difficult for him to respond to calls to serve with his music gift “because it was as though I was working but seeing nothing meaningful come out of it.”
“It is scriptural [to pay someone for their service],” he stressed. “The Bible says, ‘A labourer is worthy of his wages’.”
He decried the constant neglect of the Gospel musician.
“It’s as though you’re on your own,” he lamented. “However, it is the utter truth that Gospel musicians are making a strong impact in the Body of Christ [Church].”