Boomplay licensing deal with Merlin sends indie repertoire to Africa

By Emmanuel Legrand

Boomplay, one of the leading music streaming platforms in Africa, and Merlin, the global digital rights agency for the independent label sector, have signed a licensing partnership that will make independent music repertoire available to potentially 62 million users in Africa.

  Boomplay claims to have a catalogue of 10 million songs and videos. The company said that the partnership with Merlin "will increase substantially the range and depth of repertoire available across the service."

  "This is an important partnership, and offers our African listener base a stronger opportunity to access and enjoy a greater range and depth of music," said Boomplay Head of Marketing Africa, Tosin Sorinola. "Boomplay’s vision is to build the largest and most reliable music ecosystem in Africa, and working with Merlin brings us significantly closer to that goal.”

  Merlin Chief Commercial Officer Charlie Lexton commented: “Merlin is a globally-facing business, and I am delighted that our independent members will now be at the heart of Africa’s exciting and fast-evolving music market. We look forward to working closely with Boomplay, to further developing this partnership, and building deep and lasting connections across the continent.”