Piracy continues to frustrate music industry

Over the years, Namibian artists have been fighting music piracy through social media platforms. However, the message seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

Recently, music giant Abraham Mumbangala, known as Tate Buti, has come out guns blazing on social media about his new music which was allegedly uploaded on music platforms without his permission.

“We all say we want the Namibian creative industry to grow to entertain you, to keep our culture moving, but it is sad when the same people who claim to love music are the ones copying albums on USBs, sharing it on WhatsApp or distributing my work for free. Studio time and production costs money.

“Everything costs money, talent, effort, sleepless nights. None of that comes cheap. I create music to make you dance, lift your spirits and to keep the Tate Buti sound alive, but how do we grow if the music is not supported the right way?” he writes.

After tracing the suspect who allegedly uploaded his music to social media platforms and distributed it on USBs, Tate Buti says he immediately drove to Grootfontein to meet with him.

“Imagine having to drive all the way to Grootfontein just to go make sure that the person responsible is confronted. We want to use someone as an example because we are tired,” he says.

Tate Buti says he plans on exposing more people who are involved in music piracy.

Musician and performer James Omlongo shares the same sentiment, saying he has suffered immensely due to music piracy.

With the aim of securing his newly released album titled ‘OmbingaAishe’, Omlongo set its price at N$1 000 per USB.

“Honestly that experience was painful but also eye opening. When I priced the album at N$1 000, it wasn’t greed, it was a reflection of years of sacrifice, studio costs, travel, promotion and real hard work. Seeing it get pirated so fast made me realise how deeply piracy is affecting artists in Namibia,” he says.

“It made me feel discouraged at first because you invest your whole heart, then someone shares it for free like it means nothing. But at the same time, it also made me stronger and more aware that artists need to be smarter about how we release and protect our work. Piracy doesn’t just steal music, it steals dreams, growth and sustainability.”

He went on to say his only wish is for people to understand that supporting an artist financially is not a favour.

“This is how we survive and grow. Streaming legally, buying music and respecting release strategies can change an artist’s entire life. From the industry side, I want to see stronger systems to protect intellectual property, faster action against piracy and more education around music business and digital rights.

“Artists also need better distribution platforms and legal backing. If audiences and the industry work together, Namibian artists can finally enjoy the full value of their creativity instead of constantly fighting to protect it,” he says.

In 2018, four people were arrested by the Walvis Bay police for piracy, and the investigation implicated shop owners, shebeen owners and jukebox owners.

According to Tate Buti, the fight against piracy will continue until it comes to an end.

After several confrontations with the suspect who allegedly uploaded several local artists’ music on YouTube under the name ‘Nam Channell,’ the songs were deleted.

Namibian Society of Composers and Authors of Music interim chairperson Joseph Tuhafeni could not be reached for comment by the time of going to print.

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