When you hear “Joro” by Wizkid, you might think Wizkid owns the song. You would be wrong. Here is the layered reality of music ownership in Nigeria.
When you stream “Joro” by Wizkid on Spotify, who gets paid?
If you answered “Wizkid,” you are only partially right – and mostly wrong.
According to a landmark legal explainer by Professor Bankole Sodipo, SAN, one of Nigeria’s leading intellectual property lawyers, a single hit song has multiple owners. Understanding this is not just academic – it is the difference between building wealth and being exploited.
The Five Layers of Ownership
Professor Sodipo breaks down the ownership of “Joro” into its component parts:
| Role | Contribution |
| Songwriter | Composes the lyrics and melody. |
| Performing Artist | Brings the lyrics to life vocally. |
| Producer | Builds the beat, sound, and vision. |
| Record Label | Funds, releases, and markets the song. |
| Music Publisher | Handles licensing and registration. |
Each of these parties owns a distinct bundle of rights.
“A single hit record can have five or more distinct rights holders behind the sound. Know who owns what – before you sign.”
The Two Layers of a Song
Every song has two equally important components:
- The Musical Work (Publishing Rights): The composition – lyrics, melody, notes, chords.
- The Sound Recording (Master Rights): The recording – vocals, beats, instrumentals, performance.
What the Law Says
Under Nigeria’s Copyright Act 2022, the owner of a musical work has exclusive rights to reproduce, publish, perform, broadcast, adapt, and distribute the work. The owner of a sound recording has similar exclusive rights over the recording itself.
Why This Matters
Most Nigerian artists sign contracts without understanding these distinctions. The result? They sign away their publishing rights (the composition) while focusing only on their master rights (the recording). Or they sign away both.
Knowledge is not just power. In the music business, knowledge is money.
This article was crafted from the [Name of Source Document].
