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Companies are taking note of global interest,
with Universal Music Group launching Virgin Music Africa Label &
Artist Services in June for independent African labels and
artists. The service will digitise out-of-print music catalogues
to tap into the growing market for the sounds and chart-toppers
of the continent.
Music streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and
Boomplay are also entering the market with dedicated and
expanded offerings and services.
The interest from global companies is coming as African artists
headline festivals and concerts such as, Afro Nation in Portugal
and Africolor in France and genres including Afrobeat, Rhumba
and Amapiano are topping charts.
Franck-Alcide Kacou, managing director 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 audience.
"It's a real opportunity for countries that are also
experiencing this digital transformation to integrate all this
heritage into the cultural offer that is made on platforms,"
Kacou told Reuters in Abidjan.
He said the service will support independent labels in digital
distribution who are looking for a wider network.
"Finding a producer on the continent and distributing cultural
works is a real challenge for many talents, most of whom do not
receive fair remuneration for their musical works," Kacou said.
(Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Writing by Bate Felix;
Editing by Josie Kao)
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