Swangz Avenue musician Elijah Kitaka has highlighted the growing role of music streaming platforms in Uganda's music industry, saying they have created more opportunities for emerging artistes to gain visibility.
Kitaka compared the current digital music landscape to the era when groups such as Radio & Weasel dominated the industry, saying artistes and fans had limited knowledge of platforms such as Apple Music and other streaming services at the time.
According to the singer, artistes in the past largely relied on radio airplay, word of mouth and organic popularity for their songs to become hits.
“We didn’t even know about those platforms. A song would hit on its own, but now we even have Apple Music charts where your song can be number one, and elsewhere the rankings matter,” he partly said.
Kitaka explained that streaming charts have become an important measure of a song's performance, with rankings and digital visibility sometimes contributing to how artistes are recognised through awards and other industry platforms.
He noted that the current system gives emerging musicians additional avenues to introduce their music to audiences without relying entirely on traditional gatekeepers.
Kitaka also believes audiences have become more receptive to different sounds, making it easier for artistes with unconventional styles to find listeners.
“Things in our generation have changed. People have accepted the sound as well, but back then you would come up with your new sound, like in R&B, and people would question, ‘What’s that?’ People now embrace music because they want it; they want something different,” he added.
Elijah Kitaka has continued to establish himself as one of the fast-rising musicians in Uganda, with his growing profile reflecting the changing ways artistes can connect with audiences in the digital era.