Music Commerce in Africa

"This book, Music Commerce in Africa, comes at a significant moment in the story of the music industry on the continent. For many years, there has been constant chatter about this so-called potential but in the last two years, we have seen tangible displays of the endless possibilities. We are seeing huge breakout African hits such as Master KG’s “Jerusalema” and CKay’s “Love Nwantiti,” the likes of which have not been seen before; we are witnessing the rise of African artists building real global audiences and beginning to stand shoulder to shoulder with their Western peers; and most importantly, we are seeing cross-pollination of the African sound, with a real infusion into the pop music lexicon. All of this points to the rightful ascendance of African music and artists and a correction of the prior state of affairs, with Africa being an afterthought for the global music industry. While there is great cause for celebration, there is still a great deal of work to be done — and this is where our team is deeply committed to focusing our attention — to build a strong African music industry, anchored by professionals with comparable skill levels to any other regions in the world, from artist managers to marketing specialists to entertainment lawyers and everything in between. But the most important task, which I believe this book addresses, is overcoming the biggest misconception many people have, which is that Africa is a single market with a single music scene. Africa, with its different cultures, languages and contexts, is hugely diverse, and so is the music deriving therefrom. With over 50 countries, all with exciting local music scenes, a ‘one size fits all’ approach simply doesn’t work. A great deal of nuance is necessary. With a view towards this range, this book provides an introductory primer in order to begin to understand the extremely complex structures underlying the intricate web that is the African music industry. This is the ‘dummy’s guide to the African music industry’ you never knew you needed!" - Alfonso Perez Soto President, Emerging Markets, Warner Music Group