Excel Joab named content acquisition manager for Boomplay Nigeria

First launched in Nigeria in 2015, the Chinese-owned digital service provider runs both a free tier and subscription-based service and is widely reported as the fastest growing music streaming service in Africa – with more than 75 million users and 2 million new monthly users as of June 2020.

Joab joined Boomplay in 2019. Before being promoted to his new role, he was the content executive at the company’s media arm, Boombuzz Nigeria. He also spearheaded the Buzz Discoveries interview series dedicated to featuring emerging artists in Nigeria’s music scene. 

Joab’s new post will see him work closely with Yemi Akinnigbagbe, who is in charge of content acquisition in West Africa.

“Excel is a passionate and well-respected figure in the industry who knows what our artists want,” Boomplay director of content and strategy Phil Choi said. “I’m excited to have him in the team and I look forward to the results Excel will bring in his new position. I have no doubt he will be able to deliver more value for our artists and help us cement our place as the home of music in Africa.”

Joab said: “As always, the goal is to support Nigerian creatives. It’s an exciting time to be in the Nigerian creative industry and I’m constantly amazed by the plethora of talent in this country. This new position offers me a chance to help emerging creatives get their music out to a much wider audience. I look forward to the journey ahead of me with enthusiasm”.

Meanwhile, Boomplay’s East Africa manager, Martha Huro, last month revealed that African music accounted for 70% of streams on Boomplay. 

The company’s director of artist and media relations, Tosin Sorinola, told Music In Africa in December: ”Local African music is still the major source of streams in each of our main operating territories. One very interesting point is seeing new artists break out and doing very good numbers, which shows that there’s a lot of potential for the future of African music.”

Boomplay says it expects to boast a catalogue of more than 60 million songs by the end of 2021. Additionally, it hopes to bolster its collaborations with artists and the wider industry, while providing more features to allow users to discover and stream their favourite music more easily.