Boomplay Adds Sony To African Music Service, Passes 60M Users

Sony Music Entertainment has inked a licensing deal for Africa with streaming and download music app Boomplay. The deal follows previous licensing agreements with both Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group.

Boomplay, which is co-owned by Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Transsion Holdings, and Chinese tech giant NetEase, currently operates in markets including Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, and has over 60 million users.

Under the terms of the new agreement, African artists such as Nigeria’s Wizkid, Afrobeats act Davido, and Kenyan artist Redsan whose catalogs are signed to Sony and will now be available on Boomplay, as will Sony’s international roster which includes the likes of Beyoncé, DJ Khaled, French Montana and Future, among others.

Boomplay’s Director of Content & Strategy, Phil Choi, said:
“We are delighted to partner with SME and having their internationally recognised repertoire on board. This is a significant step for us in achieving our aim to develop the African music ecosystem and we are excited about the opportunities that this strategic partnership will bring for African artistes and our users.”
Boomplay’s Head of Marketing for Africa, Tosin Sorinola, added:
“Music remains the only universal language, transcending the thoughts, boundaries, philosophies, cultures and preferences of individuals. This partnership offers our African stars a stronger opportunity to be heard on the global scene – increasing their reach and exposure.”

Managing Director of Sony Music Entertainment Africa, Sean Watson, said:

“SME is delighted about working with Boomplay to deliver some of the greatest music in the world to African music lovers through our newly concluded partnership. We look forward to bringing Africans together on Boomplay to discover, listen to and enjoy the millions of songs our exceptional Sony Music Entertainment artists have created.”