Category: Music Industry
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Afrobeats Doesn’t Need Validation Anymore!
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The genre that the world called ‘world music’ is now shaping the world’s music. Here’s how we got here. There was a time, not too long ago, when African artists had to walk into Western rooms and shrink themselves to fit. Describe their sound in palatable terms. Tone down the…
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Why You Know Every Lyric But Not the Artist
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You’re not getting old, name branding simply isn’t being used the way it once was in Afrobeats. What feels like a growing distance from new artists isn’t a function of time; it’s a shift in strategy. Time did not change the rules, artists did. What has faded is the consistent,…
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From Radio Pluggers to Retweets: How Music PR Evolved Through the African Lens
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The way African artists have navigated publicity from dusty radio stations in Lagos and Accra to global streaming platforms is a story of rhythm, resilience, and reinvention. A deep dive across four genres · Highlife · Afrobeats · Hiplife · Afropop Radio Era 1980s–90s TV & Cassette 2000s–10s Digital Dawn…
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Why Publishing Deals Are Necessary in the Music Business
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In the music industry, the spotlight usually falls on recording artists, streaming numbers, tours, and viral hits. Yet behind many chart-topping songs lies a quieter but far more enduring engine of value: music publishing. A publishing deal governs the copyrights to the composition, the underlying melody, lyrics, and structure of…
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How Amapiano became the Sound of Pop in 2026
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A few years ago, Amapiano was a South African House music style you only heard at Joburg parties. Today in 2026, that same drum sound is hiding in popular Pop bridges, TikTok hits, and probably your gym playlist. It didn’t “go mainstream.” Mainstream came to it. So what is Amapiano?…
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The Global Rise of African Music Is Also a Communications Story
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The international growth of African music is often discussed in terms of streaming numbers and chart placements. But behind every breakthrough moment is another force. Narrative. For decades, African music has existed globally but has often been misunderstood or framed through limited perspectives. What has changed in recent years is…
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The Artist Story Is Still the Most Powerful Marketing Tool
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Music travels fast today. A song can move from Lagos to London in hours.A snippet can reach millions before the full track is even released. But speed has created a new challenge. Many artists are heard before they are understood. In an industry increasingly driven by algorithms, music often reaches…
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The New Music Artist Job: Being a Creator
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There was a time when the primary job of an artist was simple: make great music. The rest of the machine handled the rest. Labels handled marketing. Radio handled discovery. Media handled storytelling. Fans discovered artists through channels that were slower but more structured. Today that structure has changed. Artists…
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Why African Artists Need Strategy, Not Just Virality
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Every few weeks, a new song catches fire online. A dance challenge takes off. A lyric becomes a caption. A snippet starts living on TikTok or Instagram Reels, and suddenly, an artist is everywhere. For a moment, the internet agrees: this is the next BIG thing. But a few months…
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Why Clarity Beats Loudness in Modern Communications
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The loudest brands are not always the most understood. Today, visibility is easy to buy. Attention is not.Social platforms reward volume. Algorithms reward consistency. Culture, however, rewards clarity. At MAE MCG, we have seen brands speak often and still say very little. Not because they lack ideas, but because they…