AfricaCom: three ways Africa can boost music streaming services

From Simfy, Deezer and Spinlet more music streaming services are becoming bolder as the entertainment industry in Africa becomes more certain.

Even with these positives, the industry has found itself in a tough spot, with the likes of iROKING reportedly cutting its staff numbers for its African music streaming service.

Francis Keeling, the global head of digital music at Universal Music therefore says there are three ways how the industry could grow in Africa.

• Get the right service for Africa – Most of the services that are offering music streaming might not be suited for Africa. Having 15 million songs on a platform doesn’t attract much of the African audience. A service that has the African feel, voice and taste will attract listeners from the continent.
• Have a social consideration – The growth of social media within Africa cannot be ignored in the growth of the digital music experience.
• Great involvement from the carriers – Digital music streaming can piggyback on the growth of mobile technology in Africa. More people are having internet connected devices and are looking for more entertainment content. The carriers can assist in billing and reach.