For decades, the Haitian Music Industry (HMI) stood as a cultural force — a place where raw talent could rise, where music was created out of passion, struggle, and pride. But today, it seems the soul of the HMI is being replaced with spreadsheets, followers, and fees. The truth is hard to ignore: the HMI has become a full-blown industry — and like many industries, it now runs on money more than music.
Gone are the days when upcoming artists were discovered and supported based on their skills, creativity, and potential. In today’s HMI, if you don’t have at least $500 in your pocket — sometimes more — to promote a single, you might as well keep your song on a USB drive. Most radios won’t play your track unless you pay. Most influencers and DJs on social media won’t share your music unless there’s a cash app involved. The gatekeepers no longer care how powerful your lyrics are — they care about your budget.
In fact, the whole industry now revolves around a phrase that says it all: “Ti media mil goud.”
This simple line — meant to sound small — has become the unofficial price of entry. If you’re not ready to pay it, forget getting airplay. Forget getting a repost. Forget being featured. Talent is no longer enough. Connections are no longer enough. Now, it’s “ki kote ti media mil la ye?”
Talent Alone Isn’t Enough Anymore
This pay-to-play culture is hurting the future of Haitian music. Young artists with amazing potential are being silenced — not because they lack talent, but because they lack funds. The dream of rising from the streets to the stage is slowly dying. And while the established names in the industry keep getting richer, the next generation struggles just to be heard.
It’s heartbreaking that the same platforms built by talent now treat talent like it’s not enough. We are watching the gate slowly close on creativity, and the key is money.
The Culture Is at Risk
The HMI was never just about money. It was about identity. It was about struggle, love, politics, and pride. The moment we reduce it to a business-only mindset — where every song needs a payment to live — we risk losing what made it special in the first place.
Of course, artists and promoters deserve to be paid. There’s nothing wrong with earning from your craft. But when “ti media mil goud” becomes a wall instead of a stepping stone, we have to ask: are we helping the culture, or just hustling it?
So, What’s the Solution?
We need a cultural reset. Radios, DJs, social media influencers, and event organizers must balance business with passion. Offer platforms for emerging artists. Run contests. Create open mics. Promote talent with potential — not just artists with money. The HMI will only grow stronger if we plant new seeds, not just keep watering the old ones.
The next generation of Haitian music is out there, waiting to be heard — but if we keep putting “ti media mil goud” between them and the mic, we’ll never hear their voices.
Let’s remember why we fell in love with Haitian music in the first place — and let’s make room for those who can carry the culture forward with heart, not just a receipt.
Samuel Georges
