Chinese-owned music streaming platform, Boomplay has launched its office in Côte d’Ivoire.
The streaming platform which is for African artists and African songs has opened its offices in Abidjan to further enhance music streaming in the country and also, assist Ivorian artists reach a wider audience within and outside the African continent.
The Reason For The Launch
Boomplay’s positioning of its office in Côte d’Ivoire marks it out at the 6th African country with the platform’s presence following its previous launch in Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana and Cameroon.
“We’re particularly proud to establish a presence in Abidjan, a creative and cultural hub in the region. The warm welcome our team has received from artists, local partners and stakeholders is a strong indicator for us moving forward. Boomplay is committed to contributing to the dynamism of the Ivorian music industry”, Boomplay Côte d’Ivoire General Manager, Paola Audrey Ndengue, said in regards to the launch.
Music Streaming Activities in Ivory Coast
Due to the unavailability of the data around the growth of Ivory Coast’s music streaming industry, several of its home artists have risen to stardom in the past years due to an increase in streaming services. A typical example of this feat is French singer-songwriter Kikimoteleba, who rose in Spotify’s ranks when his hit single Tigini exceeded 15 million streams. Others who also have been in the spotlight on social media include the Nigerian remix of Aboutou Roots La Blessure, for instance, which has been used in thousands of videos across the internet.
Furthermore, the presence of Boomplay would help in democratising income for Ivorian artists as many of their livelihood is solely dependent on live performances within the country.
READ ALSO: The Benefits of Music Streaming for Artists in Africa
According to Guy-Constant Neza, who is an Ivorian label manager at Believe Digital, streaming platforms would provide the double awareness amongst artists in the industry and also, provide the necessary opportunities that music streaming officers.
The launch of Boomplay would further give Ivorian artists access to the platform’s 70 million active users and a payment opportunity per purchase/stream on the platform.
Similarly to YouTube, the platform has a freemium model where users can play music for free with advert intermissions, or payment for an ad-free version using a MasterCard.
According to Director of Artist and Media Relations, Tosin Sorinola, “This physical presence extends Boomplay’s mission to promote local talent by providing them with a platform and resources within and outside of the service, which enables them to reach a wider audience of music lovers across the continent. We are delighted to provide a transparent service which ensures that artists get due revenue from their music streaming.”
