Accra: Veteran Gospel musician Stella Aba Seal has declared that the practice of 'payola,' where artistes pay DJs and media houses to promote their music, is a culture that will never die. In a recent interview with Kafui Dey, which aired on February 27, 2026, Seal reminisced about the early days of music promotion and highlighted the changes that have occurred over the years.
According to Ghana Web, Seal explained that during her early career, there was only one major platform, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), that everyone depended on for music promotion. She noted, "Only one TV station. We all competed for the same space." Seal further elaborated that in the past, GBC compensated artistes with royalties every three months when their songs were aired. Similarly, she recalled that TV3 used to pay artistes who appeared on its 'Music Music' show, a practice that, she lamented, is no longer in place.
Seal emphasized the persistent nature of payola in the industry, stating, "Payola is a culture that will never die. In our time, when we gave our music to GBC, at the end of every three months, they gave us money. GBC used to pay us royalties of that sort. Even when TV3 started and we went there to do 'Music Music' or whatever, they rather paid us. But now everything has changed."
Echoing Seal's sentiments, 'Shake It To the Max' hitmaker Moliy shared her experiences in a 2025 interview with US-based Revolt TV. Moliy expressed that, as an independent artiste in Ghana, securing visibility often necessitates financial transactions, whether through media outlets or influencers. She explained her approach to content creation, stating, "Even the content I was creating, I made it in a way where I could do it myself anywhere. It didn't need professional help or for it to be professionally shot. I didn't need to pay anyone. I made it easy for myself because being independent or working in Ghana, or I guess anywhere else, if you want to collaborate or be seen, most of it is payola."