Pandora and SoundCloud launch Afrobeats station

Named Afrobeats by SoundCloud, the channel follows the arrival of the Soul & Ginger station which fuses R&B and Afrobeats, providing listeners with a curated experience merging both sounds.

Originating from West Africa, Afrobeats is currently among the most consumed music forms globally, with Ghanaian and Nigerian artists steering the sound. Among the genre’s leading names are Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Davido, Burna Boy and CKay. The increasing popularity of the sound has also prompted regular collaborations between African artists and their American counterparts.

“This is an exciting time for artists coming out of Africa, and the rest of the world stands to benefit,” Pandora’s senior African music programmer Juan Gomez said. “As social media and the internet continue to bring us all closer together, African artists finally have an opportunity to firmly take a seat at the global pop music table, bringing with them a slew of new sounds and influences, while simultaneously furthering the musical conversation between Africa and the West.”

Pandora is owned by US satellite-radio firm SiriusXM and currently boasts some 50 million monthly listeners. The platform provides consumers with a uniquely-personalised music and podcast listening experience, available through its mobile app, the web, and integrations with more than 2 000 connected products.

Listen to SoundCloud’s curated Afrobeats radio station exclusively on Pandora here.