Music piracy is adding to the list of problems which could threaten the viability of Barbados’ music industry, especially outside the Crop Over Festival.
According to chief executive officer of the Copyright Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Inc. (COSCAP) Erica Smith, the present weak macroeconomic situation had created a “perfect storm”.
“You have the low levels of penetration in the online market, you have the willingness of Barbadian consumers to purchase illegal copies or to download illegally and this is combined with declining opportunities in the live music market, fewer opportunities for touring and low levels of local content outside of our Crop Over period,” she said.
“The result was that income levels of COSCAP’s members had been falling and quite a few artistes had “exited the industry and have been looking at taking up work elsewhere”, Smith said. (NB)
