Cinq Music Group, a GoDigital Music company, has partnered with C.R.E.A.M, the talent-discovery and artist-development platform founded by Nigerian artist D’Banj.
The tie-up is designed to move emerging African artists onto the global stage, and it also brings D’Banj‘s catalog into the Cinq Music ecosystem.
Both companies said the primary focus of the partnership is building a pipeline for the next generation of African talent, with the catalog acquisition described by Cinq as a milestone rather than the centerpiece.
C.R.E.A.M – which stands for Creative, Reality, Entertainment, Arts, and Music – connects artists with audiences through talent discovery, content monetization, fan engagement, and career development.
The platform, which launched in 2016, says it has more than seven million subscribers across Nigeria.
At the center of the partnership is C.R.E.A.M‘s talent competition, Best of The Streets (B.O.T.S.), which the company said returns in October to identify emerging creatives from across Africa.
Participants gain access to industry opportunities through fan voting, mentorship, live showcases, and artist-development programming, according to Cinq.
Cinq Music will sign and develop 10 artists selected through the program, providing them with global distribution, marketing support, funding, and long-term career development.
“Through this partnership with Cinq Music Group, we are expanding that vision by creating a direct pathway for emerging artists to access global development, distribution, and career opportunities.”
D’Banj, C.R.E.A.M
D’Banj, Founder and CEO of the C.R.E.A.M platform, said: “C.R.E.A.M was founded to create opportunities for talented young people and connect African creatives to the audiences, resources, and platforms they need to succeed.”
“Through this partnership with Cinq Music Group, we are expanding that vision by creating a direct pathway for emerging artists to access global development, distribution, and career opportunities.
“Together, we are building a stronger future for African talent and ensuring the next generation can compete and thrive on the world stage from their home country in Africa.”
Fotemah Mba, Head of A&R and African Expansion at Cinq, added: “African music has moved beyond having a ‘moment’ on the global stage. It is fundamentally shifting the sound and energy of the entire industry, influencing genres from Latin to Country.”
“What D’Banj has built with C.R.E.A.M is unlike anything else. It’s a massive, grassroots engine that connects directly with the heart of independent talent.
“At Cinq, our mission has always been to empower creators with data-driven infrastructure and true partnership… we aren’t just signing great new artists, we are building a permanent, scalable highway for the next wave of African superstars to reach audiences worldwide.”
“What D’Banj has built with C.R.E.A.M is unlike anything else. It’s a massive, grassroots engine that connects directly with the heart of independent talent.”
Fotemah Mba, Cinq Music Group
Beyond the artists signed to Cinq, the broader C.R.E.A.M community will gain distribution and monetization services through Octiive, another GoDigital Music company.
The partnership is supported and managed by Immensum Music, whose COO, Adia Dightman, said: “Cinq has always embraced the international music community, and their partnership with C.R.E.A.M shows their willingness to back infrastructure builders who are changing the playing field of the African music industry.”
“Cinq has always embraced the international music community, and their partnership with C.R.E.A.M shows their willingness to back infrastructure builders who are changing the playing field of the African music industry.”
Adia Dightman, Immensum Music
The deal lands as Sub-Saharan Africa ranks among recorded music’s fastest-growing regions.
Recorded music revenues across the region grew 15.2% in 2025 to reach USD $120 million, according to the IFPI’s Global Music Report 2026.
That made it the joint second-fastest-growing region in the world last year, level with the Middle East and North Africa and behind only Latin America, which grew 17.1%.
The IFPI attributed the region’s performance to rising adoption of licensed streaming, the growing global influence of African artists, and continued investment from record companies.
Across Africa, that investment has increasingly moved from signing individual artists toward backing the platforms and infrastructure that discover them.
Universal Music Group acquired a majority stake in Afrobeats label Mavin in February 2024, in a deal reported to be worth more than USD $100 million.
Mavin was founded by Don Jazzy, who ran Mo’ Hits Records with D’Banj until the pair split in 2012.
Warner Music Group, meanwhile, completed a full acquisition of African distributor Africori in 2025, having first invested in the company in 2020.
C.R.E.A.M has drawn investor interest of its own, with Afreximbank‘s CANEX Creations signing a term sheet for an equity investment in the platform in June 2025.
D’Banj‘s catalog is anchored by Oliver Twist, which peaked at No. 9 on the UK’s Official Singles Chart in 2012.
It was the first Nigerian single to debut on that chart, and arrived after D’Banj signed to Kanye West‘s GOOD Music label in 2011. The track has reached 35.6 million streams on Spotify to date.
For GoDigital, the partnership follows a period of expansion.
The company raised USD $230 million in November 2025 in a round led by Bank of America, taking its total capital raised to date beyond USD $1 billion.
That raise was conducted through the newly created GoDigital Music division and arrived alongside a rebrand that will also see Cinq Music renamed.
Cinq says it manages more than 80,000 assets spanning Reggaeton, Música Mexicana, Afrobeats, Country, and Pop, and has worked with artists including Janet Jackson, Jason Derulo, T.I., and Daddy Yankee.Music Business Worldwide
