Boomplay expands licensing agreement with Merlin

Merlin is a member-led organisation providing digital music licensing for independent acts globally, representing tens of thousands of labels and hundreds of thousands of artists from around the world.

The deal will extend the availability of Merlin members’ music catalogue to 47 additional countries in Africa. The expansion of the deal is expected to allow more African music lovers access to the best local and international music from Merlin members’ diverse catalogues. It also underscores Merlin’s commitment to driving new value for its members, including access to new audiences across Africa, while offering a richer music experience for Boomplay users.

“As our user base and service grows rapidly across the continent, it’s important that we have the right partners to continue on this journey with us, and to grow and support the local music industry,” Boomplay’s director of content and strategy Phil Choi said. “As the world leader in independent music rights, we’re delighted that Merlin shares the same vision as us and together with Boomplay’s advantages in the digital music sector and Merlin’s top-quality catalogue of songs, we can look forward to a striving music eco-system for many years to come.”

Merlin chief operating officer Charlie Lexton said: “Through this expanded partnership, Boomplay users from the newly opened territories can now access Merlin members’ extensive catalogue of homegrown and international music across all types of genres and an array of languages. We are excited to see Boomplay grow their reach and offer their service to new users across Africa.”

Tuesday’s partnership follows a 2019 agreement covering 11 countries with Boomplay. In October, Boomplay announced that its streaming data will be counted in a number of Billboard charts as part of its “dedication to helping the African music industry unlock its full potential” and to give African and international artists and their music an opportunity for more exposure on the global stage.

“This expansion, along with Boomplay’s recent partnership with Billboard that enlists Boomplay’s streams as part of the data that informs the prestigious Billboard Charts, reaffirms their commitment to ensuring African music is heard worldwide,” the streaming platform said.

Boomplay is Africa’s leading digital service provider (DSP), boasting over 60 million monthly active users and a catalogue of over 65 million tracks, the most extensive catalogue of African content globally.