By Our Correspondent

National News – Nollywood filmmaker and music video director, Apampa Oluwadamilola, popularly known as Dami Twitch, has warned that producers can no longer freely use Afrobeats songs in films without proper licensing.

He spoke on May 30, 2026, during an Afropolitan podcast episode that later trended.

Dami Twitch said many Afrobeats artists have signed deals that transfer control of their music rights to external companies.

Because of this, even personal relationships with artists no longer guarantee song usage permission in films.

He added that producers must now negotiate directly with rights holders. This makes music licensing more complex, time-consuming, and expensive for film projects.

According to him, only big-budget productions with strong financial backing can comfortably afford popular Afrobeats tracks.

Independent filmmakers are often priced out of these deals.

He warned that this growing gap is affecting collaboration between Nollywood and the Afrobeats industry.

Many filmmakers may now be forced to use original scores or less popular songs instead.

Industry observers say the trend could reshape Nollywood storytelling.

It may also increase demand for music supervisors and legal clearance experts in film production.

Experts further note that without affordable licensing systems, smaller productions will continue to struggle.

This could change how Nigerian films integrate mainstream Afrobeats soundtracks in the future.