Everybody is talking about the year 2030 as if the world is coming to an end.
The year 2030 sounds like a long way away but it’s only 4 years away from now.
With the demise of major record industry companies in Zimbabwe, vis-à-vis Gramma Records, Zimbabwe Music Corporation and Records and Tape Production who produced Vinyl records, CDs and cassettes en masse, these companies have been replaced by streaming, Spotify, TikTok, Facebook and many other internet platforms. A lot of musicians are lost on how they can earn decent money from these platforms without the technical know-how.
With 2025 wrapped up, the music industry enters 2026 in a more mature and measured phase. Growth has not disappeared, but it has slowed and become more uneven. The past year made one thing clear: momentum still exists, but it is increasingly concentrated, and structural limits are starting to show.
What is the future of music in 2030?
It is my conjecture that in 2030 we will be seeing the continued rise of nostalgic music formats. Vinyl has paved the way, but cassette tapes and CD players are now becoming a stronger cultural statement despite the fact that modern vehicles are no longer equipped with cassette and CD players.. In Zimbabwe today, most musicians are dependent on live shows and the little earnings coming from Zimura (an organisation which is in chaos at the moment)
That’s what’s beautiful. As musicians we are never done. There will always be things to make better.
The music industry was left for dead 20 years ago, then along came streaming to bring it back to new heights. Now that, the internet and more have caused a new set of problems that we now have the opportunity to improve upon.
Each era brings a new set of challenges that feel impossible to solve—until someone does.
What are some current issues in the music industry?
Problems are opportunities and the music industry has plenty.
So, I asked 100+ people “what’s the biggest problem to solve in music?”.
Here are the most common answers:
Music has been devalued. Many people do not view music as a serious industry
Streaming/Spotify have taken over from the record shops which made it easier for those who wanted to buy their favourite records.
Lack of real artist development and investment from the government on the arts.
The music royalty blackbox. Not many musicians know how their earned royalties are calculated. The organisations which are employed to do this, instead take advantage of such ignorance.
The rising cost of touring. With the increase in fuel prices, it has become more difficult to tour around the country as most of the expenses are absorbed by travel costs
Constant need for self-promotion. Videos to show your existence are now priced at an arm and a leg. Promotional posters and other promotional material such as t-shirts have also increased in price.
Lack of knowledge resources for artistes: knowing who to approach for funding is another problem.
A misunderstanding of how to build real businesses A good example is how Rossala Miller refused to open the show for Michael Jackson for a fee of 500 pounds until she was persuaded to do it. Other groups had been offering to pay in order to become the opening acts. When she eventually did she became a worldwide star.
Some great answers here.
Almost every day I talk to a founder tackling these challenges, or an artist creating in new ways, or someone in the industry rethinking whats possible.
It’s inspiring.
Because we all know we’re in the midst of a major shift in music.
It’s up to the artistes solving these problems—and creating new opportunities we’ve yet to imagine—to shape a better future.
I promise you there’s far more good than bad.Tomorrow will be better than today.We just have to build it.
Just don’t forget about the fans
Almost no one mentioned the fan experience. And if history shows us anything, transformational shifts in music follow what’s best for the consumer—not the artist.
Most solutions that aim only to solve artist problems without also considering fan’s want are bound to fail.
The last decade pursued the laid-back listener, as that was the biggest opportunity. Now, the focus is the lean-in experience.
Now wait for the year 2030, things will have changed again.
- Feedback: frezindi@gmail.com