Warner Music has announced a new licensing agreement with music streaming platform Audiomack.
The deal will make the major’s catalogue available on the service across Africa for the first time, as well as Canada and Jamaica.
Audiomack, which boasts more than 16 million monthly active users, will also provide support for Warner Music’s A&R research activities across these territories.
Alfonso Perez Soto, EVP, Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Warner Music, said: “This deal is another important step in growing Warner Music’s presence in Africa. Under the new deal, not only will our teams benefit from a range of key A&R, marketing, and data commitments in Africa, but Audiomack will also help support our African artists’ international expansion into the US and western markets.
“Audiomack is incredibly popular and influential in global youth culture and in the process of breaking new artists worldwide, so I’m excited to see our African artists become part of the platform.”
Allan Coye, SVP, digital strategy & business development, Warner Music, added: “We launched our first partnership with Audiomack in the US a little over a year ago. In that time, we’ve collaborated to create a lot of value for Warner artists and for Audiomack. We look forward to extending the benefits of this partnership to our many artists across these key regions.”
Among the key territories covered in this partnership are Canada, Ghana, Jamaica, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania.
“The expansion of our partnership with Warner represents the next phase of Audiomack’s consistent investment in the African market,” said Vanessa Wilkins, director of music & data partnerships at Audiomack. “Leveraging our robust presence in the region, Audiomack will arm Warner’s A&R teams with the data-based insights they need to identify rising stars and bring new opportunities for growth to the thousands of creators that Audiomack serves.”
Dave Macli, CEO of Audiomack, added: “We’re delighted to bring the Warner Music catalogue to Audiomack’s millions of listeners across Africa. Audiomack’s goal has always been to provide every artist worldwide with a no-cost platform to launch their careers and connect with new fans. As a result of this deal, African artists on Audiomack who decide to partner with Warner will remain on Audiomack and connected to their earliest supporters.”
In 2018, the major launched Warner Music Middle East, which covers Arabic North African countries and is led by MD Moe Hamzeh. Last year, WMG announced a partnership with Chocolate City, the influential independent record label in Nigeria. Warner Music recently announced its investment in Africori, Africa’s leading digital music distribution, music rights management, and artist development company.
Earlier this year, Audiomack opened its first international office in Lagos, Nigeria.
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