African Music Service, Mdundo.com, to Pay $1.5M to Musicians in 12 months

Mary Nnah

In a groundbreaking move that is set to transform the music landscape across Africa, Mdundo, the leading African music streaming and download platform, has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to supporting artists and revolutionising the industry through transparent and fair royalty payment practices. With an impressive projected payout of up to $1.5 million over the next 12 months, Mdundo is championing the financial success of artists and contributing structure, legality, and income to the music sector.

Mdundo takes immense pride in its diverse and extensive roster of over 100,000 content providers, solidifying its position as the go-to platform for music discovery across the African continent. With prominent labels such as Africori, MAD, Mavin, Universal Music Group, Warner Music, and many others on board, Mdundo ensures that its 24.5 million monthly active users can enjoy music from various genres, styles, and regions.

The service works with 156,000 African artists as well as prominent labels such as Africori, MAD, Mavin, Universal Music Group, Warner Music, and many others.

The HOD Music of Mdundo, Wanjiku Koinange,  said, “Mdundo’s Artist Royalty Payment is a testament to our mission of empowering artists and driving the growth of African music.” With a strong focus on fair compensation, Mdundo aims to foster a thriving ecosystem where creativity can flourish. The royalties are distributed to African rightsholders based on the artist’s performance on the service, Kenyan rights holders are the biggest beneficiaries of the service with 35%, followed by Tanzania with 19% and Nigeria with 17%.

“We are thrilled to witness substantial revenue growth fueled by our partnership with Mdundo.com,”  said Demola Alugo, the Senior Vice President and head of Distribution for Dvpper Music representing some of Nigeria’s big acts like Omah Lay, CDQ, Seyi Vibez among others.

Ayodeji Badmus, founder of Defabs Digital, which houses artists such as Luddy Dave and Barry Jhay, further emphasised the platform’s value, stating, “Mdundo.com has proven to be an invaluable asset in our pursuit of maximizing the commercial potential of our artists and their music.” This sentiment is echoed by Ikenna Nwagboso, the Head of Label Services for emPawa Africa, representing artists such as Joeboy, Mr. Eazi and Dj Neptune who recognizes Mdundo’s role in expanding artists’ reach and providing music lovers with an immersive download and streaming experience.

Mdundo.com recognises the importance of making music easily and legally available to all segments of the population, including those with low to mid-end mobile devices and limited internet data consumption. The platform’s focus on optimizing music consumption for these users ensures an accessible and enjoyable music experience at low data cost. By catering to the unique needs of this segment, Mdundo.com democratizes music access and empowers a wider audience to engage with their favourite artists and genres.

Mdundo.com is Africa’s leading pan-African music service, dedicated to providing music easily and legally across Africa. With a vast library of African songs, curated playlists and a focus on low internet usage, Mdundo.com is redefining the way people discover, listen to, and engage with African music. The platform collaborates with leading South African advertising agencies, including OMG, and partners with record labels such as Africori, Content Connect Africa, Universal Music Group South Africa and Warner Music Group South Africa. Currently, over 140,000 artists have accounts with Mdundo.com hereof 10,800 South African, showcasing the platform’s commitment to supporting local talent and driving the South African music industry forward.