The head of TuneCore for West and East Africa, Chioma Onuchukwu, has urged more representation of women in the music business. She stated that promoting greater female involvement in all areas of the industry is one of the critical goals of Women in Music Nigeria, where she serves as co-chairperson. On July 26, she made this statement while participating in a music training session with the nonprofit organization Byta for an online panel discussion titled Understanding Africa’s Music Ecosystem.
Chioma was joined in the session by Marc Brown, the founder of Byta. The panel, a part of the How We Listen series, discusses important topics like how music from the African continent influences the global market, what we can learn from the promotion and distribution of music in Africa, and how streaming has altered the playing field.
She went on to mention how some of our female musicians have gained more prominence on a global level and how this might inspire other women who wish to join the industry.
Regarding the development of artists, she stated that musicians must realize that their work is a business. She emphasized the need for artists to consider their careers as businesses.
“You will understand your consumers and the market better if you treat your music like a business. There are industry thought leaders on social media dropping daily nuggets on how to build a sustainable music career, reach out to them, and ask the right questions. Most artists are unaware of the music business’s various facets, including revenue, marketing, audience reach, A&R and many more. You must actively seek more ideas and knowledge about the music industry and educate yourself on it, especially in Africa. Artists may find a variety of materials on TuneCore’s comprehensive blog to help them advance their careers, according to Chioma Onuchukwu, head of TuneCore West and East Africa.