Category: Music Industry Insights
Analyses on the current trends, challenges, and opportunities within the music industry.
TikTok and Apple Music Launch Full Song Streaming & Listening Parties
TikTok has expanded its music streaming integration through a new partnership with Apple Music, introducing full-song playback and real-time Listening Parties within the social video platform. The beta rollout signals a deeper convergence between short-form video, streaming services, and digital music monetization, reshaping how fans discover and consume music directly inside TikTok. TikTok’s “Play Full…
68th Grammy Awards: What the Night Reveals About Music, Power, and the Future
The 68th Grammy Awards returned to Los Angeles with all the theatre, prestige, and cultural tension that now defines Music’s Biggest Night. Held in the heart of L.A. and organised by the Recording Academy, the ceremony once again reminded the world that the Grammys are not just an award show; they are a mirror reflecting…
Before the Gold Statues: What the Grammys Still Don’t Fully See About African Music
As the global music industry turns its attention to the 2026 Grammys, the conversation once again drifts toward trophies, speeches, and red carpets. But long before the gold statues are handed out, the real story has already been written ; in studios across Lagos, Accra, Nairobi, Johannesburg, London, Atlanta, Kingston, and beyond. It lives in…
MUSIC CUSTODIAN IS A LIVING ARCHIVE
In an era where attention is fleeting and culture is often reduced to trends, Music Custodian exists as a living archive , we think of a space where African music is not just announced, but understood; not just amplified, but contextualized; not just celebrated, but protected. From its earliest days as a bespoke communications consultancy,…
Gospel vs. Secular Music in Nigeria: Does the Line Still Exist?
In Nigeria’s continuously evolving music landscape, the traditional divide between gospel and secular music is becoming increasingly difficult to define. As artists move fluidly between faith-inspired expression and mainstream success, the question is no longer whether gospel and secular can coexist – but whether the line ever truly existed. In Romans 12:2, the apostle Paul…
What 2025 Sounded Like: 30 Albums, Carefully Curated
As the year winds down, Music Custodian finds itself reflecting on the records that moved culture, sparked conversations, went viral, climbed charts, and ultimately soundtracked our year. Beyond numbers and accolades, these are the albums that lived with us, shaping moments and moods long after release day. 2025 was a defining year for music. Afrobeats,…
Kehlani Speaks Out on Rise of AI Artists: “It’s Erasing Songwriters, Producers, and Our Humanity”
In a new interview with @thecruzshow, Kehlani opened up about her concerns around the rapid rise of AI-generated artists — using viral AI R&B act Xania Monet as a recent example of how artificial intelligence is reshaping the music landscape. Xania Monet recently made history as the first AI artist to debut on a Billboard…
The Rebellion Lives On: Lagos Welcomes Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s Afrobeat Legacy
October 12, 2025, arrived with a familiar jolt of rhythm and rebellion as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti: Afrobeat Rebellion debuted at the Ecobank Pan African Centre — a triumphant cultural return of the legendary Paris showcase, now reborn through a distinctly Lagos pulse. What began at the Philharmonie de Paris has now been reimagined and rebuilt for…
Rolling Stone’s “250 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century”: A Global Canon and the Call for a More Expansive Sound Memory
When Rolling Stone unveiled its list of the 250 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century So Far, it wasn’t merely another chart exercise; it was an attempt to define the sound of a generation. The list, headlined by Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On”, is a sonic mosaic of the past 25 years — a…
Francophone Renaissance: From Dakar to Abidjan, the New Age of Rap & Afropop
At Music Custodian, we’re tuning our ears to new frequencies. As part of a fresh editorial wave, we’re stepping beyond the familiar rhythms of Afrobeats to explore the vibrant, genre-blending soundscapes flourishing across West Africa — with a spotlight on the often-overlooked Francophone regions. From Dakar to Abidjan, a quiet renaissance is reshaping the sonic…