Trace CEO holds masterclass at African Music Institute

During his visit, Laouchez facilitated a masterclass for master of media management and music business students, to whom he presented Trace's work, told his personal journey in the music business and shared tips about media management.

AMI's students come from diverse backgrounds such as communications, management, law, journalism and finance. Yet they have opted to find a career in the music business. Some of the students are already established artists in Gabon, including MC Charly Tchatch, singer and guitarist Tiss Warren Jazz, singer Saydric London and Awax School of Music founder Kevin Mintsa Mebaley.

Born on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean, Laouchez boasts more than 25 years of experience in the music industry. After graduating from the Paris School of Business, he spent two years working in Southeast Asia and in 1993 launched the first free-to-air TV channel in Martinique. In 1998, he was appointed CEO of Secteur Ä – a leading hip hop and R&B label in France – where he designed an audiovisual project dedicated to fans of urban music and culture. At the time, the label was the home to artists such as Doc Gyneco, Passi, Stomy Bugsy and Arsenic.

In 2003, Laouchez secured funding to launch Trace. Sixteen years later and Trace is active in 180 countries with more than 80 million pay-TV subscribers, 24 localised TV channels, 30 FM and digital radio stations, several mobile services, and digital platforms that engage some 200 million fans. It is regarded as the leading youth media brand in Africa. Two years ago it launched the Trace Play platform, which combines subscription video on demand (SVOD), live TV and live radio, and recently Trace Academy, an educational foundation.

During his visit at AMI, Laouchez also took part in a Q&A session with the institute's students, who were eager to find out about how artists could get their videos on Trace Urban and Trace Africa. Laouchez said Trace was receiving more than 400 video submissions a week. The Trace team would then review the artist, brand and quality of the production before playlisting a video.

During the exchange, the AMI students didn’t hesitate to share the details of their professional projects with the Trace CEO, who gave them his opinion as an experienced professional.

"Having a good idea is good, but every idea must find its market to exist," he said. "The African market is difficult, and we must make sure that we don't copy what has been done elsewhere. We must dream by taking into account the specificities of Africa."

About the African Music Institute

The African Music Institute (AMI) is a state-of-the-art education facility in Libreville, Gabon. The institute offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees shaped and reviewed by Berklee College of Music in Boston, US.

The AMI offers courses in sound engineering, music technology, management and music. The bachelor’s programmes available include performance, songwriting as well as electronic production and design, while students partaking in the two-year master’s programmes can opt for postgraduate degrees in media management or media production.

The AMI campus covers six hectares in the heart of Gabon’s capital and offers cutting-edge facilities and equipment, recording and TV studios, performance halls and a main auditorium where many of the lectures take place. The AMI has also made available accommodation for international students or for those who prefer to stay on campus.

For more information, visit the African Music Institute official website.

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