ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, July 22 (Reuters) – Global media and music brands race to claim a share of Africa’s music market as internet and smartphone penetration popularize artists and genres far beyond Africa’s borders.
Companies note global interest as Universal Music Group (UMG.AS) launches Virgin Music Africa Label & amp; Artist Services in June for independent African labels and artists. The service will digitize sold-out music catalogs to take advantage of the growing market for sounds and charts on the continent.
Music streaming platforms including Spotify (SPOT.N), Apple Music and Boomplay are also entering the market with dedicated and expanded offerings and services.
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Interest from global companies comes as African artists headline festivals and concerts such as Afro Nation in Portugal and Africolor in France and genres including Afrobeat, Rhumba and Amapiano top the charts. To see also : Pink Floyd seeks $500 million for entire music catalog, per report.
Franck-Alcide Kacou, CEO of Universal Music Africa and the new Virgin Music Africa Label, said it has over 15,000 music titles, 50 partner labels and around 100 artists from 25 countries.
The artists include Senegal’s M’balax maestro Youssou Ndour, Congo’s Lokua Kanza, Magic System from Ivory Coast and Cabo Snoop from Angola.
Kacou added that the service will digitize and distribute African music currently in vinyl, cassette or CD formats to reach today’s younger audiences.
“It is a real opportunity for countries that are also experiencing this digital transformation to integrate all this heritage into the cultural offering offered on platforms,” Kacou told Reuters in Abidjan.
He said the service will support independent brands in digital distribution, looking for a broader network.
“Finding a producer on the continent and distributing cultural works is a real challenge for many talents, most of whom do not receive reasonable remuneration for their musical works,” Kacou said.
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Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Writing by Bate Felix; Edited by Josie Kao To see also : Cleve Francis, Still an Inspiration for Black Country Music Artists.
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