TurnUp Music partners with Samsung on streaming service

Designed to focus on the development and growth of local artists’ careers through various collaborative opportunities and a strong market reach, the partnership was announced last week at the AfricaCom conference in Cape Town.

“Samsung, as the global smartphone leader, is the perfect partner to accelerate not just the streaming platform but also to reduce barriers to entry across Africa," TurnUp Music chief operations officer Thabiet Allie said.

"The 4G-enabled Z Series devices are both accessible and affordable, making it a great tool for listening to music and watching videos.”

The director of Integrated Mobility Samsung, Craige Fleischer, also expressed his excitement about the project.

“Because Samsung always strives to create technology that enriches people’s lives, we are delighted to partner with TurnUp Music in this initiative, bringing local sounds to users and helping to promote local musicians.”

Music In Africa spoke with Allie who said they preferred to employ the Z series because they were 4G-enabled, "which is aimed at getting more users connected to the Internet".

"For us it will allow users a rich experience, both as audio streaming and soon with music videos,” he said. “We've had a partnership with Samsung for some time and have been working on how we can grow the music industry together. This project is the culmination of many months of work.”

Allie said TurnUp Music is only available in South Africa on Vodacom Live and WeChat. It is also the company's first stand-alone app that runs on the Tizen operating system.

Asked what the company was doing to make sure that TurnUp Music remains relevant in an industry where there are many music streaming services, Allie said: “I suppose the answer lies in the partnerships we have built. Our aim is not to build a close user group and own music, it’s to create an open environment that benefits fans and artists. We believe our campaigns run over the past year demonstrate that intention.”

Since its launch, local artists such as Mi Casa, Nathi, Emtee and Vusi Nova have already taken advantage of TurnUp Music.

“Artists earn 70% of revenue for every track downloaded,” Allie said. “We understand that many services charge to distribute music, especially for up-and-coming talent, but we offer the service free to artists.”