Global media and music brands are running to claim Africa's music market as the Internet and smartphones make penetrations popular artists and styles beyond the borders of Africa.
Companies are focusing on global interest, in which the Universal Music Group has launched the Virgin Music Africa Label and Artist Services June for independent African labels and artists. This service will digitize out-of-print music catalogs to tap in the continent's sounds and chart-toppers.
Music streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Boemplay, are also entering the market with dedicated and expanded offerings and services.
Global companies are interested in African artists, which are topping charts such as styles including festivals and concerts such as Afro Nation in Portugal and Africolor and Ephrobet, Ramba and Amapiano in France.
Frank-Alexid Kakau, Managing Director, Universal Music Africa and managing director of the new Virgin Music Africa Label, said it has over 15,000 music titles, 50 fellow labels and about 100 artists from 25 countries.
The artists include Senegal's M'Balax Maestro Youssou Ndour, Congo's Lokua Kanza, Ivory Coast from Magic System and Angola from Angola.
Kakau said that the service will currently digitize and distribute African music in vinyl, cassette or CD formats to reach today's young viewers.
"This is a real opportunity for countries that are experiencing this digital change, integrating all this heritage in the cultural proposal made on platforms to integrate in cultural proposals," Kako has to Reuters in Abidjan Told.
He said that service would support independent labels in digital distribution that are looking for a broad network.
"Finding a manufacturer on the continent and distributing cultural functions is a real challenge for many talents, most of which do not get proper remuneration for their music works," Kakau said.