Ethiopia to launch new music streaming app

According to CGTN Africa, the Awtar Music App, which was pioneered by (among others) Ethiopian musician and composer Elias Melka, will catalogue Ethiopian music covering all genres and the Amharic, Oromiffa and Tigrigna languages.

The public will be able to purchase songs and albums for 4.50 birr ($0.16) and 15 birr ($0.52), respectively. To curb piracy and maximise the artists' revenue, the music downloaded from Awtar will not be shareable.

The creators of the app have also developed a structure to ensure that all creatives included in the split sheet for the song - such as singers, lyricists, music arrangers, melodists and producers - receive a 20% share of the profit from the song.

Awtar will also be used as a platform for sharing music-related news, concerts and workshops.

Self-taught Ethiopian producer Nael told Music In Africa that the app will reduce the escalating illegal purchase of music, which is mostly done using flash disks and memory cards.

"Independent artists will find that streaming will be a big help in fighting piracy," he said. "Illegal music download is killing the revenue in the industry and discouraging many from making more music, so this app will help us regulate our sales."

He also said that Awtar Music App will reduce the cost of releasing an album and cut down on marketing costs, as opposed to releasing physical compact discs (CDs).

Until now, YouTube has dominated the online streaming music video market in Ethiopia. The digital platform has been used by musicians, many of whom do not plan to earn any royalties but rather hope to achieve popularity. Some of the popular YouTube channels include Hope Music Tube, Hope Music Ethiopia, Ethio One Love and Dire Tube.

Globally, the music streaming industry has exploded in the past few years, becoming the dominant form for the consumption of music. This latest development promises to reinvent the Ethiopian music scene and provide a platform for the discovery of new artists.