Boomplay extends deal with Universal Music Group to 47 African countries

 


By Emmanuel Legrand

Boomplay, the music streaming and download service targeting African consumers, and Universal Music Group (UMG) have signed a new licensing agreement that will cover new markets on the continent, including South Africa, Ethiopia, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon and Senegal. 

  "This agreement underscores UMG’s ongoing commitment to support and grow Africa’s domestic music ecosystems, while also creating new opportunities for Pan-African talent to reach new audiences domestically, regionally and around the world," said the company in a statement. 

  As part of the new licensing agreement, UMG’s global music catalogue will now be available in 47 countries across the African continent via Boomplay. The two companies said the accord is part "of an extended relationship that will benefit African musicians and talent and expand the listening experience for Boomplay users across Africa."

Expose Africa's right music culture

  "Africa is rich with artistic talent and musical culture and continues to inspire millions of Africans for whom music is an essential part of their daily lives. Working alongside Boomplay, we will help introduce these talents to new audiences, as the appetite for music continues to grow throughout these countries," explained Franck Kacou, Managing Director, Universal Music Africa. 

  Boomplay’s Director of Content & Strategy, Phil Choi, said: “Since our original deal with UMG, the African music industry has seen exponential growth and made huge strides towards being the next powerhouse that it should be. We’re excited to continue partnering with the UMG team to help promote their African and international artists by bringing their catalogue to even more regions across Africa." 

  UMG was the first major music company to license music to the service in 2018. Boomplay offers access to over 50 million tracks and claims to have "the largest repertoire of local African content globally." Boomplay services 50 million monthly active users (MAU). In December 2020, Boomplay surpassed the 100 million app downloads on Google Play.