Celebrated Zambian Rapper Ephraim Kasonde, popularly known as Dizmo says music streaming platform Boomplay has failed to pay Zambian artists their royalties due to its limited revenue model in the country.
Appearing on DJ Pressure T’s podcast, Dizmo revealed that he too has not received his royalties from the platform, attributing the challenge to how Boomplay generates its income.
He explained that most of Boomplay’s revenue comes from advertising by companies such as Trade Kings, rather than from music subscriptions.
Dizmo added that, unlike in Nigeria where users are accustomed to using credit cards to pay for music, many Zambians are still lagging behind in adopting such payment methods.
He noted that this makes it difficult for the platform to generate sufficient revenue to pay local artists.
“Where will the money to pay artists come from if people are streaming free music on Boomplay here in Zambia?” Dizmo questioned.
The hip-hop hitmaker further stated that artists in other countries were facing similar challenges, with some even pulling their music off the platform.
Dizmo urged Zambian fans to support musicians by using other digital streaming services such as Apple Music, Spotify, and iTunes, which he said pay artists fairly and on time.