Music industry records low sales

Namibian musicians are suffering from low album sales, compared to other parts of the world. According to John Max, CEO of Namibia Society for Composers and Authors of Music (NASCAM), this is due to the prohibitively high CD costs in the country as well as new technologies that make music readily available through networks such as You Tube.
Max said most artists upload their music on social networks in the hope that the public will buy their music after sampling it, but in the end, nothing comes out of it as people resort to downloading the songs rather than buying the CD.
Generally, musicians make sales depending on the type of music and marketing strategies.  Max said juke box operators contribute the most to album sales in Namibia, contributing about 70% of music sales, while the general public is said to contribute only 1% to 2%.
According to Robert Shipanga, co-owner of Universal Sounds, music sales dropped about 50% last year. He attributes the poor sales to average albums that were produced last year.
To help Namibian musicians make some profit from their work, NASCAM introduced a stamp booklet in November last year, and all juke box operators are required to have it. The booklet is available at all Nampost branches countrywide, at the cost of N$50.00, and each stamp, which represents an album costs N$60.00.
Max stated that the reason for the high cost of CDs in Namibia is due to the costs involved in producing an album, which range from studio recording, that is charged per hour, designing of the CD cover, transport for courier and many other expenses.