Sinach (Way Maker) Tops Billboard
WASHINGTON, D.C - There are countless songwriters, a few really good songwriters, but only a handful of truly great, timeless songs. So, what makes a song great? What about a song moves people from Glasgow, Montana to Nashville Tennessee to Jersey City, New Jersey lift their voices to sing a song that was written in Lagos, Nigeria? The song Way Maker, written by International Christian Singer and Songwriter, Sinach has managed to do just that! The song was originally released on April 7, 2016, and currently has 149 million views on YouTube. It has slowly spread like wildfire throughout seemingly every corner of the world.
This movement culminated on March 14, 2020, when the name Osinachi Okoro was thrust onto the #1 spot on the Billboard top Christian Songwriters chart. Who is Osinachi Okoro? She is none other than Sinach, the Nigerian Christian singer. Sinach is simply a short version of her first name Osinachi. The name Osinachi means “Sent from God”.
So, why is this a significant achievement? Because, the Data of the Week Pro Chart’s release presents the top songwriters and producers on the Billboard Hot 100 and selective genre songs chart that utilize the Hot 100 formula (blending streaming, airplay, and download sales data) for the charts in a specific week. Rankings are based on accumulated weekly points for all charted songs — on the specified chart for the week — on which a songwriter or producer is credited. If a song is written or produced by more than one person, points are divided equally among all credited parties.
How did Sinach get here, especially since she isn’t an American songwriter?
Firstly, she has a natural gift for songwriting. For some, hit songs can sometimes be an Achilles Heel because they can distract from the artist's entire body of work; considering the attention span of the average fan who is hooked on a song and is always listening for the next big song. However, Sinach’s 6 studio albums and 3 Live Recording projects are all packed with hit songs.
Secondly, Sinach is registered with a Performance Rights Organization (PRO) that tracks the performance and reproduction of her songs. The importance of a PRO registration for songwriters cannot be overstated. Many of the biggest songs in the world are written by songwriters who aren’t singers. Therefore, if a songwriter is properly registered, anytime the song is performed (this includes on YouTube) or sold, the songwriter gets a Mechanical Royalty (rate in the United States $0.091). Conversely, if a songwriter is not registered with a PRO, they would have to go through a long process to establish that song is theirs and then register with a PRO to start receiving royalties. Even if the song is copyrighted which establishes that song belongs to a particular individual, there must be a vehicle to track and collect the royalties.
Finally, Licensing. The reason why the name Osinachi Okoro can appear on the Billboards data is that a number of A-List American Christian Singers have licensed, recorded, and professionally released the song. When a singer desires to record and release a song that is written by someone else, they contact a music licensing company or the songwriter’s publisher to purchase a license that legally grants permission for the song record and sold. Here are a few of the artists who have recorded and released their version of Way Maker:
9 weeks later, Osinachi Okoro (Sinach) is still #1. We would like to congratulate Sinach for this trailblazing feat. We also applaud her for being the first African to hold this position.
Learn more about Sinach
Learn more about our Roster
Until we meet again, keep creating, sharing, and enjoying good music.
