Audiomack Signs Licensing Deals With UMG & Sony, Marking a Major Label Trifecta Billboard 2/9/2021 Audiomack
Youth-focused music streaming service Audiomack has reached licensing agreements with both Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, the company announced today. The service previously struck a licensing agreement with Warner Music Group in Aug. 2019.
Since
Dave Macli and
David Ponte launched the service in 2012, Audiomack has helped break future superstars including Roddy Ricch and Rod Wave and debuted exclusive releases from the likes of Nicki Minaj, Eminem and Chance the Rapper. It has also become a major player on the African continent, recently hitting No. 1 on Apple’s App Store in the music category in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Senegal and Kenya. It has additionally helped break several African stars, including Omah Lay and Davido, internationally.
Universal and Sony Music Ink Licensing Deals With Audiomack Streaming Service
Jem Aswad, provided by
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Universal and Sony Music, the two largest music companies in the world, have inked licensing agreements with the music streaming and discovery service Audiomack. The company signed a deal with Warner Music in 2019.
“Audiomack serves a unique listener base that is distinct from the audiences found on competing platforms,” said Vanessa Wilkins, Audiomack’s Director of Music & Data Partnerships.
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Now boasting more than 17 million monthly active users, Audiomack was launched 2012 by Dave Macli and David Ponte. The company originally focused on the mixtape community and says it was the first platform to feature music from now-popular hip-hop artists that include A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Migos, Fetty Wap, Kevin Gates, and Chance The Rapper. The service has grown to encompass multiple genres, including hip-hop/rap, R&B, Latin, electronic, Af
Fusing indigenous rhythms and melodies with Western instruments and influence, Highlife is one of West Africa’s most cherished and essential genres of music. Originating in Ghana in the early 20th century, Highlife later spread to Nigeria, thriving in both countries in the mid-1900s and undergoing significant sonic changes, particularly by the Igbo people of Southeastern Nigeria. For young Nigerians, Highlife music brings about memories of tropical good times sitting under a palm tree, drinking palm wine, and easing through lighthearted conversations with close friends and family.
In recent times, Afrobeats, hip-hop, and Afrofusion have dominated the Nigerian music scene. These relatively new sounds, and other older genres like Fuji and Juju, have pushed Highlife to the backseat as younger generations are opting for more upbeat and modern sounds.