The business of film music in mainstream Nollywood: competing without advantage

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article addresses the business of film music in mainstream Nollywood. It does so by focusing on the materiality of the industry as an institution: its social organisation and systems of film music production; markets; networks; and power relations. Specifically, the arguments rely on social organisational theories, and economic concepts such as vertical integration and market competition alongside inferences from interviews with insider-practitioners. Findings reveal that the Nollywood film music industry is characterised by non-institutionalised vertical integration within a perfectly competitive market in which its film music composers are, essentially, competing without advantage.