Is Live Streaming The Next Frontier In Nigerian Music Marketing?

A little over two weeks ago, Nigerian megastar Davido appeared on Alte pioneer Cruel Santino’s Subaru World Twitch live stream. The DMW honcho appeared on the stream as part of rollout plans to promote his highly anticipated fifth album, 5ive. Despite Davido’s appearance on the stream being the most high-profile appearance to date, the stream has previously hosted guests like Jeriq, ZerryDL, Prettyboy DO, and Slawn, to mention a few.

Cruel Santino’s Subaru World Twitch stream is one of the few creative platforms gaining ground in the Nigerian creative ecosystem, as more Nigerian creators are embracing live streaming on platforms like TikTok and Twitch.

Live streaming has been nothing short of a digital revolution and has been massively embraced in other parts of the world. Megastars like Nicki Minaj, Kevin Hart, Tyla, Playboi Carti, John Cena and Doja Cat, to mention a few, have made appearances on Twitch live streams with popular creators like Kai Cenat and Adin Ross.

The global success of these streamers has provided the blueprint that Nigerian creators are now adapting to our unique context. Streamers like Cruel Santino, Shank Comics, Peller and Carterefe are creating platforms that utilise live streaming as a tool for marketing music and connecting Nigerian artists to their ever-expanding audience in real time.

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The timing couldn’t be better. Despite the high cost of data in Nigeria, a digitally native and eager young demographic remains ready to engage with their favourite Nigerian artists in real time. This raises the question: Is live streaming the next frontier in Nigerian music marketing?

Nigerian artists typically market their music using a multi-channel approach. While most still employ traditional media channels like radio, which is still essential for reaching audiences beyond major cities—television, billboards, campus tours and the like—they primarily rely on social media. Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook have become primary channels for announcements and teasers. Short clips of songs or dance challenges on TikTok have become particularly effective. While this established system has served Nigerian music well, contributing to the international success it has enjoyed in recent times, there remains a void in helping Nigerian artists build authentic connections with their Nigerian fan base.

This is what makes live streaming transformative when compared to existing marketing channels. In a digital age where authenticity has become a prized digital currency, live streaming offers artists the opportunity to show fans an unfiltered version of themselves. There’s no take two with live streaming. It’s real, raw, and unedited. Authenticity is the magic potion. Live streaming also offers fans the opportunity to interact with their favourite artists in real time, as creators tend to base their content on real-time reactions, which makes the experience dynamic and engaging.

One of live streaming’s biggest advantages lies in its unpredictability. Because it happens in real time, it creates a medium for unscripted moments that may end up going viral. Spontaneity is difficult to manufacture, and in a social media age where the end goal seems to be virality, one single moment from a live stream may resonate with audiences in ways that carefully curated content can’t.

When you also consider the creative control live streaming offers artists, it’s a no-brainer that more artists must embrace live streaming. Artists are free to shape how they are perceived without the limitations of limited time slots, filtered questions and edited interviews. They dictate the format and messaging, ensuring that their story is preserved and told on their own terms.

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Despite its immense potential, the high cost of data and unreliable internet connectivity, especially outside major Nigerian cities, might prove to be a burden. Live streaming requires a stable connection and high speed to avoid lagging and interruptions for fans to have an enjoyable experience. The notoriously expensive and unreliable internet will eventually prove to be a frustrating obstacle, as Nigeria still lacks basic infrastructure.

Hence, artists and their marketing teams must recognise that streaming is not a replacement for traditional promotional efforts. Instead, it should be utilised as a complementary tool that offers new and exciting ways to connect with fans. For now, it’s a bold step into the future—one that rewards those willing to embrace its possibilities while navigating its limitations.