Music Technology and Innovation as Catalysts for Economic Development in Developing Countries: A Positional Analysis of Nigeria’s Creative Economy
Keywords:
Music Technology, Innovation, Creative Economy, Nigeria, Economic Development, Digital Platforms, Afrobeats, Music EntrepreneurshipAbstract
The impact of music technology on the culture production, creative entrepreneurship and economic participation in the developing countries has become a major factor shaping the process of cultural production. This position paper proposes that music technology and innovation cease to be seen as accessory tools of entertainment and become proactive agents of economic change. The article explores the impact of digital production tools, streaming platforms, social media, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and digital distribution systems on the music value chain, with a particular focus on the Nigerian context. It also contends that the Nigeria's notoriety in the world of music in general and Afrobeats and other popular musical genres in particular is a huge opportunity for jobs creation, cultural export, intellectual property development, youth entrepreneurship, tourism and national branding. This potential is held back by inadequate infrastructure, digital differences, poor copyright protection, insufficient funding, lack of coherent policy and reliance on foreign platforms. The article introduces a Music Technology-Innovation-Development Framework, and advocates for policy, local platform development, creative education, rights management and inclusive investment.
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