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(L to R): Sarkodie, Shatta Wale, Ebony, Nacee, and Amerado have sold some of their catalogues
When Shatta Wale’s sale of his music catalogue made headlines over the past week, one question netizens began to ask was: ‘Are Ghanaian artistes broke’?
According to music publisher, rights activist, and consultant Mark Darlington, the reality is far more complex.
Speaking on GhanaWeb Entertainment’s X Space on August 22, 2025, during a discussion on the topic “The Business of Music Catalogue Sales”, Mark explained that selling a music catalogue is not necessarily a sign that an artiste is broke.
Instead, it is often a personal decision or the result of certain industry circumstances.
EXPLAINER: Why companies buy music catalogues and how they make their money back
Why some artistes simply choose to cash out through sale of catalogues
Mark Darlington noted that for many artistes, particularly those who have spent longer years in the industry, the grind takes its toll on them.
After years on the road, some musicians want to cash in on their past works to fund new ventures, retire, or reinvest in other parts of their career.
In that sense, selling a catalogue is about unlocking equity that has been built over years of creative effort.
Secondly, some artistes and labels own large catalogues and find it overwhelming to manage them.
Therefore, handling licensing requests, tracking royalty payments, and monitoring usage across different markets can be a time-consuming business.
By selling their catalogue to a company that specializes in managing such assets, they remove the administrative burden and gain the security of a lump-sum payout.
Challenges that could force Ghanaian artistes to sell
Mark Darlington also mentioned that the situation in Ghana comes with its unique pressures that make catalogue sales appealing.
According to him, the first challenge lies in streaming. In established markets like the US and Europe, streaming has become a reliable income stream for musicians. In Ghana, however, the economics of streaming are far less favourable.
“Streaming, for example, data is expensive. So the streaming numbers, even if you check for most of our artistes, their highest streams are out of Ghana. And that’s not because people don’t want to stream, but it’s because data is expensive and not everyone has access to internet,” Mark explained.
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This means Ghanaian artistes cannot fully depend on their home market to generate the kind of streaming revenue their colleagues abroad enjoy.
Instead, they rely on audiences in other countries, which creates a disconnect between their popularity at home and the income they actually earn from music consumption.
The second issue Darlington raised is royalties. In countries where systems are well developed, Collective Management Organizations (CMOs) play an important role in ensuring artistes get paid whenever their music is used publicly, whether on radio, TV, in bars, or at events. In Ghana, however, the system is weak.
“Our CMO has not been collecting any proper royalties, and the users of music have not been paying. And whether we like it or not, your home country is usually where your biggest market is,” he stated.
Without reliable royalty collection, artistes lose out on a huge portion of potential income. Mark Darlington used Black Sherif as an example, noting that if Ghana had structures in place for royalties and streaming, the musician would be making far more money in Ghana than he currently does.
Conclusion
The decision to sell a catalogue is a calculated response to the realities of the music business, In Ghana, this development is shaped by high data costs, poor streaming adoption, and weak royalty collection systems.
Meanwhile, watch the trailer to GhanaWeb’s upcoming documentary titled, ‘Sex for Fish’ below:
AK/EB
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