Gospel musician Grace Ashly has expressed disappointment over Ghana’s music royalty system, revealing that she has not received royalty payment in the last 18 years.
Despite spending 25 years in the industry, the singer said “not even a dime” has hit her account in royalties, describing the situation as a reflection of the deep structural challenges facing Ghana’s music industry.
Speaking in an interview on Joy Prime, Grace Ashly said her experience points to a music ecosystem that is not functioning as it should, since the country’s lacks the structures needed to adequately support musicians.
She noted that the prolonged absence of royalty payments has convinced her that Ghana’s music administration is “broken” and needs significant reforms.
The gospel artiste went on to compare Ghana’s music industry with those in the West, saying that if she had the opportunity to start her music career all over again, she would choose to work under a Western music system.
Explaining her position, she said Western countries offer better structures, stronger leadership, improved recording facilities, quality sound production, and systems that ensure musicians benefit from their work.
Grace Ashly, however, stressed that her comments do not stem from a lack of love for Ghana, but rather from a desire to see the local music industry improve.
“I love Ghana but the difference in structure is quite glaring. There are a lot of things we don’t get access to here,” she said.
Her remarks have since reignited conversations about music royalty distribution and the welfare of Ghanaian musicians, with many industry players calling for reforms to ensure artistes are fairly compensated for their creative works.
