Boomplay Nigeria’s Ibrahim Kadiri talks success and future plans

Boomplay, also boasting a presence in Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, and Cameroon, has witnessed over 300 million downloads and established licensing partnerships with major industry players like Universal, Warner, Sony, and TikTok, while also collaborating with key music stakeholders across Africa, including labels, regulators, distributors, and telcos.

The company’s live audio channel Boomlive, offering content creators a means to build community and generate revenue from live engagements with their followers, has also seen some growth in the last two years.

According to Kadiri, artists have increasingly recognised the platform’s value for music monetisation and promotion. “We have been active in making a difference beyond our core mandate as a streaming service, focusing on artist support, advocacy against piracy, music promotion through our online and offline assets, and prioritising African content,” he said.

The company operates under a vision to empower the African music ecosystem to unlock its full potential. “Our mission therefore is to bring everything music to Africa and help the world discover Africa,” he said. “With respect to the artist and user, we are building the most reliable and transparent digital music ecosystem in Africa.”

Addressing the challenges facing Nigeria’s music industry – such as insufficient artist development and high internet costs – Kadiri points to Boomplay’s commitment to combating piracy. He stated that the platform utilises digital rights management to protect content owners’ rights, ensuring that all downloads remain within the Boomplay app to prevent illegal sharing.

Touching on Boomplay’s contributions to the industry, he explained their dual revenue models: a paid subscription service and an ad-supported freemium model. This approach allows for fair royalty payments to content providers. Boomplay also offers a content management system (CMS) that enables content providers to manage their music and verify royalty reports in real-time.

Boomplay claims to place a strong emphasis on educating stakeholders, particularly emerging artists and their management teams, with Kadiri touting the platform as a repository of information for the music industry and investing in promotional campaigns to support Nigerian artists beyond national borders.

Looking ahead, Kadiri touched on Boomplay’s plans to enhance the user experience and make streaming more accessible and affordable. The company also aims to add value to the Nigerian music scene through artist support programmes, thought leadership initiatives, and capacity building for stakeholders.

Upcoming partnerships with local and global brands are also in the pipeline, with Kadiri expressing optimism about the platform’s future and its ongoing commitment to the Nigerian music industry.