We Must RESET Our Music Industry – Enock Agyepong

Ghanaian entertainment pundit and CEO of Speech Production, Mr Enock Agyepong, has emphasized that music is more addictive than any drug. The more you ignore it, the more it follows you—just like your shadow. Simply put, people will never stop loving music, and as a result, there will always be individuals willing to invest in it.

However, Agyepong argues that many who have invested in music over the years have seen no returns because the industry lacks proper structure and security for investors.

“Many have been bruised and have no intention of ever returning to this industry. Some have been defamed and disrespected by the very brands they supported. Others have abandoned music entirely—some have resorted to dog farming, others to selling phones. Yet, instead of fixing the mess, we seem more interested in exploiting the broken system.”

Drawing comparisons to football, Agyepong pointed out how structured their industry is. In football, managers cannot simply steal players from another team without facing severe consequences. When a foreign club buys a local player, his former team—sometimes even his Colts club—gets compensated. FIFA oversees these transactions and regulates football license agents, ensuring a safe and stable environment for investors.

“In contrast,” he lamented, “anyone can walk into a manager’s camp in the music industry, and the artist will follow him like a goat. Meanwhile, some managers have also swindled investors who dared to support the industry, making even philanthropists hesitant to help.”

Agyepong stressed that no one will invest in such an insecure environment. He called for a strengthened Creative Arts Agency to curb selfishness in the industry, as well as a revitalized Musiga to educate and regulate talents.

“Until then, no one will put their money into such a disorganized industry. Talents are wasted daily at an alarming rate, but who will invest in a space where even schnapps and eggs can’t save you? Not even the courts can protect you in this broken system.”

With an industry practitioner now serving as the Substitute Creative Minister, Agyepong hopes the Deputy position will also go to an industry player—an appointment that would earn the President immense respect.

“If this happens and we still fail to fix the industry, then we will have no excuses left.”

#VhimMovement