Media personality Douglas Lwanga has argued that the growing social media presence of Ugandan musicians, particularly on TikTok, has reduced their exclusivity and made it harder for them to attract fans to live concerts.
Speaking on a YouTube podcast, Lwanga observed that fans can now access their favourite artistes’ content online for free, making the experience of seeing them perform in person feel less special.
He believes the constant exposure has weakened the excitement that once surrounded musicians and made audiences more willing to dress up and pay to attend their shows.
“They are everywhere now, and they see them for free, so it’s not easy for someone to go and dress up and go attend a concert,” he said.
Lwanga also pointed to broader changes in Uganda’s music industry, arguing that musicians are finding it increasingly difficult to make significant profits from live performances.
He urged artistes to diversify their income sources instead of relying entirely on music, suggesting that businesses outside entertainment could provide more financial stability.
“Let’s look for other businesses, maybe we do farming. We need to look at what else we can do in the creative industry that’s not the actual singing,” he said.
His comments have added to the debate about how social media exposure, changing audience habits and limited income streams are affecting the value of Ugandan artistes in the entertainment market.