Malawi gets new online store

The store, which was on a trial basis since August last year, is now available for download on Android devices.

Featuring gospel, traditional and urban music, the APMC app makes it possible for anyone in the world to buy and access Malawian products including music. The online store is available in English and Chichewa.

“So far since its inception the response that we are getting from both the artists and the general public has been very encouraging,” APMC business executive Isaac Chingota told Music In Africa, adding that there were plans to launch the app in other African countries.

Chingota said the service was established with the idea of growing Malawi’s creative industries.

“The company was established by artists themselves through their arts associations and with additional financial assistance from the government of Malawi,” he said. “It is a product of an integrated arts development programme that the government is implementing through the Copyright Society of Malawi.”

Chingota said the introduction of APMC would help curb logistical challenges encountered by music distributors in the country.

“Digital content is now the emerging and fast-growing mode of distributing works, but without a proper sales and distribution system in place the artist can hardly make enough income from the use of their digital works,” he said.

“It was thus discovered that what artists want is a system that responds to their needs in a relatively transparent manner and whereby they can plan their business around it.”

Chingota said artists would get 60% of the money charged for each download and that the system could capture real-time sales data on a daily basis that would reflect in the user’s account.

With piracy being rife in Malawi, industry players like Chingota are looking at new ways to dislodge the unlawful copying and distributing of music in the country.

Asked how the development would help grow the local industry, he said: “This platform provides an alternative distribution method for Malawian musicians who are struggling to compete with pirates on the market.

“More importantly, it gives them an opportunity to take full advantage of the growing digital environment in the creative sector, to not only look at it from a negative point of view as a vice in terms of fighting piracy but also as a great opportunity for growing their music businesses.”

Chingota said the store had been integrated with the Airtel Money mobile platform and PayPal for artists who wanted to sell their products in Malawi and abroad respectively.

“Once artists opens an account, they can send their products through that account. The admin then checks it to see if it’s well formatted. Thereafter it goes into the store. Those who want to buy can just search for the product they are looking for, choose the payment method and follow the prompts,” he said.

In November last year, Malawian company Raymka Group launched the Maluso online store in Zambia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.