Technological Development in Information Technology and the Demise of the Music Industry: The Case of Sungura Music in Zimbabwe and Digong Music of South Africa

It’s agonizing to realize that someone spent months if not years of sleepless nights compiling, composing and committed to produce a piece of music art. In most cases before it gets into the market officially it is deplorable that thousands of copies would have been sold illegally and at a bargain price like R10-00 in South African currency (US$1-00) and US$1-00 in Zimbabwe currency. This on-the-street cheap pricing cannot remunerate the effort of the musicians neither does it benefit to the pirates. The issues of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) need to be respected in all forms of art. Before the 1990s, the music industry used to be lucrative for music artists but now some view it as unrewarding because fake artists copy their music (and also some films) and sell it on the streets before it reaches music stores. Copy right laws are no longer observed seriously. This paper seeks to answer the following questions: What should be done to improve music production and supply processes in Zimbabwe and South Africa? Who is to blame for this rampant music piracy in the Southern African countries - the information technologist who reproduces a music CD illegally or the musician? Management of art is complex and a number of musicians are not educated enough and thus have no basic business management knowledge and skills. This paper critiques the illegal act of music piracy in Zimbabwe and South African, and seeks to establish a music industry model of musical art marketing and sales towards profitability for music composers and producers. The article attempts to offer possible solutions to the music piracy challenge. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n15p27