Mdundo has identified Nigerian music sensations Kizz Daniel and Mercy Chinwo as the most downloaded artists on its platform.
Kizz Daniel was named the most downloaded male artist, while Mercy Chinwo received the award for most downloaded female artist.
The platform revealed this at an exclusive event at The House, Lagos, titled “Marketing African Music to Global Audiences” over the weekend.
Mdundo is an Africa-based music service provider targeting the general market. Its services allow users to legally download music to their mobile phones and access curated DJ mixes paid for through airtime.
The event organized to promote the influence of African music attracted a diverse audience consisting of music producers, up-and-coming artists and music enthusiasts.
Stakeholders from the music and telecommunications industries were also present for in-depth discussions, networking and celebrations.
Article page with financial support promotion
Awards were presented at the ceremony recognizing outstanding achievements in the African music scene.
Other awardees included ‘Fastest Growing Artist’ Boy Sean, ‘Highest Downloaded Hyperlocal Artist’ Nura M Inuwa and ‘Best Alternative Creative Content’ Bola Lawal.
Reflexes
The highlight of the event was a distinguished panel discussion moderated by Joey Akan, music journalist and founder of Afrobeats Intelligence.
Industry expert panelists included Praiz, an award-winning Nigerian R&B artist and member of the Grammy Recording Academy; Akachi Igboko, Publishing and A&R Associate at Mavin Records; and Honor Agbedo, project director at ONErpm.
Also on the panel list were Lucklyn Audu, entertainment lawyer and business manager at Wande Coal; Excel Joab, Senior Manager of A&R and Artistic Development at AWAL; and Princess Okereugo, Head of A&R at Sony Music.
This expert session addressed “The commercialization of African music genres and opportunities for brands and artists.” Speakers offered valuable insights into the evolving industry landscape and prospects.
Together, they explored the challenges of marketing Afrobeats and other African music genres and the secondary benefits for brands and artists.
Attendees gained a deeper understanding of current industry trends and possible future directions.
The exclusive meeting primarily served as a platform to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders from the music and telecom sectors.
Amanda Uzoagba, Head of West Africa Licensing, emphasized the global interest in African music genres.
“With the global development of Afrobeats, we have seen a growing interest in genres originating from Africa.
“This presents exciting opportunities for all industry stakeholders, and Mdundo, as a leading music services provider, is actively participating in these discussions,” he said.
Strategic partnerships
Sowari Akosionu, Head of Marketing and Partnerships for Africa, highlighted the success of Mdundo’s partnerships with telcos:
“Our achievements with telecommunications companies across Africa demonstrate our unwavering commitment to delivering value to our partners. We are more than just a music service provider; We are a trusted value provider for partners across the continent,” said Ms. Akwosionu.
He also highlighted the importance of the event in facilitating knowledge sharing and relationship building between the music and telecommunications industries.
Ms Akwosionu also noted that with 35 million monthly active users on the continent, Mdundo is poised to appeal to the African music consumer and is excited about the future of the industry.
Ms Uzoagba, in her remarks, also spoke of Mdundo’s dedication to artist compensation.
He said: “Earlier this year, we were delighted to distribute over $1.5 million in royalties to artists and content partners,” adding that the payment underlines the platform’s commitment to supporting and valuing artists.” that contribute to the success of the African music industry.
mdondo
Mdundo is a music service dedicated to providing Africa with convenient and cost-effective access to music.
They contribute to the 135 million monthly downloads of African music.
READ ALSO: MUSIC REVIEW: ‘The Year I Turned 21’ is Ayra Starr’s bold leap into musical maturity
The platform provides simple and legal access to a wide variety of music around the world.
Partnering with many musicians and record labels from Africa and beyond, they offer a wide collection of great music to download and stream.
More images: