Cameroonian music is rich, but the musician is poor”, said the pianist, arranger and singer Julius Essoka in a column entitled “To escapefrom 2018-20-01-12 12 plagues of Cameroon, the singer died. e on June 26, 2021 in Douala, the artist was disappointed because “this country (Cameroon, editor’s note) produces among the best artists in this world without conservatories or music schools worthy of the name, that is what is terrible!” In this reflection published in August 2019, he continued by saying: “And I would venture to say if our music was structured, it would be envied outside our borders”.
To provide solutions to this concern, the Cameroonian Music Council (CCM) launched “Music Projects”. An initiative that will give “new energy to the music industry”, breathes Didier Toko, the president of the CCM. In fact, this project aims to restructure the sector. For this, local actors and professionals of the fourth art benefited from a series of training courses in Douala and Yaoundé. Strengthening skills in their respective fields aims to strengthen local practices and accelerate the development of the Cameroonian music industry.
But before that, the association judged the music world at a national level. According to the results of the study delivered as part of the “Music Projects”, the informal sector is mostly in the Cameroonian music industry. According to the CCM, 89% of music professionals work in the production of musical works, while only 6% are involved in broadcasting and 5% in promotion.
However, with over 15,000 artists, this sector has great economic potential. Internet statistical data for 2024 reveals a changing digital landscape in Cameroon. The internet penetration rate is 43.9%, or 12.73 million internet users, and 5.05 million social media users, or 17.4% of the total population estimated at over 28 million a resident “Think about the potential in terms of economic contribution, we have to manage everything,” affirms the musician Richard Eboa, highlighting the great economic potential of the Cameroonian music industry. In addition, management general copyright, ensured by the Cameroonian Arts Society (SOCAM), is in dispute. Many artists strongly criticize its activities. They point out the lack of transparency in the collection and distribution of royalties , as well as continued ineffectiveness in protecting their work.
