THE year 2020 is coming to an end and will go down memory lane as a year of disruption. BY PLOT MHAKO NewsDay Life & Style takes a look at some of the highs, lows, challenges, and opportunities that happened on the showbiz scene. COVID-19 outbreak Despite COVID-19 artistes never stopped composing, releasing music and even performing infront of a laptop to keep fans onside. The lockdown imposed by the government to contain the outbreak of the coronavirus took a heavy toll on the creative arts and music also received a heavy blow. The new normal confined people to their homes and communities leaving the digital space as the only outlet for music and the artistes to thrive, but unfortunately the switch was rather too sudden and everyone was forced to adapt quickly. In a struggling economy where the infrastructure for music is dilapidated and the systems that sustains a viable music industry are either not there or dysfunctional, the artistes and supporting stakeholders are the most vulnerable with some continuing to wallow in poverty. Literally the industry got exposed, the lack of State funding, disunity, absence of efficient unions, poor digital infrastructure, lack of knowledge, a single television station and a banking system that does not facilitate easy international transactions meant artistes had to innovate or switch to other trades for survival. Music never stopped from playing with DJs resorting to social media platforms. Earlier this year several wheelspinners came together and successfully formed and launched a national association and some created online shows. However, some of them are still struggling to monetise except a few that were engaged by corporates such as DJ Gospel Unlocked, Dj Chucknosis, Garry B & Templeman, Dj KingHer and Dj Iroq, among others. Loss of income Promoters, artistes, event organisers, venue owners, festivals organisers and booking agencies lost millions in potential revenue as the industry remained in half-slumber. Bands like Mokoomba, Insingizi which are serial globetrotters which make their income through touring and performing at global festivals and this was not possible because of COVID-19 restrictions, depriving them of potential income. Some of the key sources of income that could have helped artistes during the lockdown could have been licensing, publishing, performance and airplay royalties, but sadly most artistes struggled to access their income. Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (Zimura) is in shambles as it struggles to get radio stations and consumers to comply on time and when the money finally comes through, the value would have been eroded. Some broadcasters have also lost revenue from advertising as businesses are struggling too thereby negatively impacting content creators. Alternatively online sales and music streaming which are huge global industries are still not easily accessible to the bulk of Zimbabwean artistes. Most composers are not well informed about the processes involved, their rights and are not able to effectively utilise the digital platforms o