Warner Music inks licensing deal with Audiomack

The announcement follows Audiomack’s recent deal with Chinese-owned Transsion, which will allow access to Audiomack’s stream of music and playlist selections. The company also opened its first international office in Lagos, Nigeria, earlier this year.

Audiomack, which boasts more than 16 million monthly active users, will provide support for Warner Music’s A&R research activities across the aforementioned territories.

“This deal is another important step in growing Warner Music’s presence in Africa,” Warner Music’s executive vice-president for Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Alfonso Perez-Soto, said.

“Under the new deal, not only will our teams benefit from a range of key A&R, marketing and data commitments in Africa, but Audiomack will also help support our African artists’ international expansion into the US and western markets.

“Audiomack is incredibly popular and influential in global youth culture and in the process of breaking new artists worldwide, so I’m excited to see our African artists become part of the platform.”

Warner Music digital strategy and business development senior vice-president Allan Coye said: “We launched our first partnership with Audiomack in the US a little over a year ago. In that time, we’ve collaborated to create a lot of value for Warner artists and for Audiomack. We look forward to extending the benefits of this partnership to our many artists across these key regions.”

WMG's roster of African musicians includes Faith K, Mvzzle, Sketchy Bongo, pH Raw X, Julanie J and Locnville. The deal adds to Warner Music’s growing investments in the African market. In 2018, the company launched Warner Music Middle East, which covers Arabic North African countries.

In 2019, WMG partnered with Nigerian record label Chocolate City, and earlier this year it announced an investment in Africori, a leading digital music distribution, music rights management and artist development company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.