As Nollywood filmmakers increasingly turn to YouTube as a primary distribution channel, industry stakeholders say copyright disputes and digital piracy are quietly undermining earnings, even for high-performing titles.
Nollywood filmmaker and industry analyst Benneth Nwankwo has explained why some of his colleagues are losing significant revenue on YouTube despite recording millions of views.
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In a post on his Facebook page, Mr Nwankwo detailed what he described as a growing copyright exploitation scheme on YouTube, using actress and filmmaker Bimbo Ademoye as a case study.
Repeated copyright claims
Ademoye is among several high-profile Nollywood creators who have faced repeated copyright claims on YouTube. This platform has become a significant revenue stream for filmmakers amid declining cinema patronage and rising production costs.
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In December 2025, her film Where Love Lives gained widespread traction shortly after its release on her official YouTube channel, Bimbo Ademoye TV. The movie, which stars Uzor Arukwe, Chioma Nwosu and Osas Ighodaro, has since amassed more than 18 million views.
However, PREMIUM TIMES reported that a copyright claim was later filed over a song used in the film, leading YouTube to redirect monetisation revenue to the claimant, identified only as Davis.
The 34-year-old actress publicly criticised the anonymous claimant and threatened legal action, describing the development as unfair and exploitative.
This was not the first time Ademoye would suffer financial losses due to copyright issues. Her earlier production, To Be a Friend, also reportedly faced similar claims after achieving strong online performance, underscoring what experts describe as a growing vulnerability for Nollywood creators distributing content digitally.
Stronger copyright management practices on YouTube
However, Mr Nwankwo warned that without stronger copyright management practices and clearer licensing frameworks, Nigerian filmmakers may continue to lose substantial income from online platforms, even as their audiences expand globally.
In recent years, YouTube has become a dominant distribution channel for Nollywood films. With production companies such as Uche Nnanna Films, Ruth Kadiri Films, and Bimbo Ademoye Productions releasing full-length features online, some channels now boast millions of subscribers and cumulative views running into hundreds of millions.
According to Mr Nwankwo, YouTube’s Content ID system, designed to protect copyright holders by automatically detecting and monetising copyrighted material, has become a double-edged sword.
While it helps creators identify unauthorised use of their content, it has also been exploited by bad actors who upload extracted soundtracks or music through digital distributors and claim revenue from original filmmakers.
Another incident
Mr Nwankwo also described how a Nollywood producer contacted him in distress after her newly released film, which had already recorded about 360,000 views, was hit with multiple revenue claims.
According to Mr Nwankwo, three soundtracks used in the film were being claimed by an unknown party through YouTube Content ID.
The producer explained that the soundtracks were generated using Suno, an artificial intelligence music generation tool, raising questions about how the tracks ended up in the Content ID system.
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After verifying timelines and screenshots from the film’s editor, Mr Nwankwo said there were two possible explanations: either the editor reused the tracks elsewhere, or a third party extracted the music from the film and uploaded it through a digital distributor to hijack monetisation.
“We have filed an appeal and are working to restore the revenue fully,” Mr Nwankwo said, warning that such schemes are becoming increasingly common in the industry.
Advice
Mr Nwankwo advised producers to upload original soundtracks to digital distributors such as Amuse or DistroKid before releasing films, ensuring the music exists officially across platforms like Spotify and YouTube Music.
He also recommended uploading films as unlisted videos on YouTube first, clearing copyright claims before making them public.
“This is what people now do. They wait for your film to drop, extract the soundtrack, upload it, and claim your revenue,” he said. “Nobody will protect your film for you.”
