Music Business Worldwide

Music Business Nigeria

Apple Music launches new artist discovery program Africa Rising

Omah Lay is the inaugural artist and cover star of the companion playlist

Nigeria’s Mavin Records partners with music licensing startup SyncFloor

Deal aims to bring label’s catalog to more potential sync buyers

Sony Music inks JV to develop artists in Africa with entertainment & brand agency, Celebrity Services Africa

Partnership is described as a 'first of its kind in Africa'

Apple Music launches new ‘Africa Now Radio’ show

Show is based on the recently launched Africa Now playlist

Universal launches Def Jam Africa to sign hip-hop, Afrobeats & trap artists from across the entire continent

'It is a historic achievement that we’re now able to bring this iconic label to Africa.'

YouTube backs 12 artists from around the world for 2020 Foundry development program

Program supports independent artists at the early stages of their careers

Warner invests in Africa-based music distributor Africori, launching global partnership with ADA

Africori has worked with more than 6,500 artists and 700 labels, including majors and indies

Mathew Knowles, father of Beyoncé and Solange, invests in African music streaming startup MePlaylist

Music streaming platform is based in Nigeria

Afropop star Mr Eazi’s emPawa Africa incubator selects 30 new artists to receive $10,000 in startup funding

#emPawa30 mentors Include Diplo, Dj Maphorisa, Jae5, Fred Gibson, Shekhinah And Harmonize and others

Ikechukwu Onuorah named Director of The Orchard, Nigeria

Exec joined distribution and services company in December 2019

Merlin inks licensing deal in Africa with Boomplay, which now has 62m users

Partnership follows licensing deals with Sony, Warner and Universal

Sony inks major licensing deal in Africa with Boomplay (and its 60m users)

Chinese-owned app is currently adding around 2m users every month

Marathon imprint MOVES Recordings enters wide-ranging agreement with Afro Nation

Exclusive collaboration will see MOVES Recordings and Afro Nation curate a series of new music

Mr Eazi on the global success of Afrobeats and his mission to empower the next generation of artists

Having generated more than 900m streams worldwide and collaborated with the likes of Beyoncé, Mr Eazi started artist services company emPawa Africa in November 2018

Ugandan superstar Irene Ntalé signs ‘major deal’ with Universal Music Group Nigeria

She is the first artist from Uganda to sign to Universal Music Group