Several new music services have emerged to secure footholds in Africa’s nascent streaming market. The latest is based in Ethiopia and backed by a telecom. Ethio Telecom has partnered with Awtar Multimedia to unveil a service called Awtar Music. The joint streaming-download app will have music in many genres and in several of the languages local to Ethiopia. Awtar Music is only available on Android devices.
Music that is bought by download through Awtar Music cannot be shared, a move aimed to curb piracy. The platform will also provide a 20% share of the profit from the song to all of the creative talent on a track’s split sheet, including songwriters, producers, and arrangers.
Other recent developments in streaming music around the continent have gotten attention from the major labels in the west. Internationally, China-based Boomplay Music has deals with Warner and Universal, plus a $20 million funding round to support its operation in Africa. Locally, Universal signed a deal with Nigeria’s uduX streaming service.