Zimbabwe gets new music distro platform
Jacaranda Media Group has announced the launch of Distrohive Music, the first Zimbabwean-owned digital distribution platform. The service is planned to go live at the end of September.
The on-demand service will cater to both local and continental artists, serving as a one-stop shop that will offer infrastructure and support to creatives while giving them complete control of their work through a customised artist or label dashboard.
Jacaranda Media Group co-founders Jordan Link Mangwiro and Charles Guvamatanga said the new startup formed part of their vision to take African music to the rest of the world. They added that they would leverage their experiences in the international music business to allow independent artists and labels to distribute their music globally, on transparent and financially favourable terms.
“When we started Jacaranda Media Group, we saw that Zimbabwean music needed a platform to be heard globally and needed international listenership,” Mangwiro and Guvamatanga said in a joint statement. “Distrohive Music is just an extension of Jacaranda Media Group’s continuous improvement efforts and expansion vision we have for the Zimbabwean music industry. This is also a product of listening to the call from millennial artists who want more control of their music and transparency.”
“Best of all, there are no middlemen, no signing over rights in perpetuity, no limits on how to express your creativity and no agent handling royalties and stream revenue, and the fee structure is simple and favourable to the artists,” the company said.
Labels and artists will keep 85% of what they make, with 15% going towards Distrohive Music’s services, including playlisting on iTunes and Spotify, international chart registrations, growth plans for artists, and exclusive webinars and workshops.
Distrohive Music offers two fee structures, the first being a one-time lifetime payment fee, while the second is based on an annual subscription targeting upcoming artists and fledgling labels. The platform also boasts a royalty split feature for collaborators, composers, producers, labels and music investors, to ensure fair compensation.
Some 400 artists in Zimbabwe, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa have alread signed up for the service before its launch. They include Zimbabwean Afropop musician Garry Mapanzure, who has been named as the company’s ambassador. The singer and his business partner, Silvaa King, are also expected to take on executive roles at Distrohive.
“Like many young artists with a dedicated fan base and an international vision, Garry Mapanzure saw it beneficial to his musical journey to align with Distrohive Music, for his music to be entered and registered into international music charts such as the Billboard charts, and the UK and Australian music charts,” Mangwiro and Guvamatanga said.
Seasoned producer Jusa Dementor will also join Distrohive in an executive role. “The enrolment of a rich industry talent into the Distrohive family shows that the platform is more than an industry player, but is set to establish itself as a legacy creator in the Zimbabwean and African music and arts fraternity,” the company said.
Other Zimbabwean artists joining or moving their music catalogues to Distrohive Music include Ti Gonzi, Freeman, Gary Tight, 8L, Mcknife, 5Nine, Diamond Boyz, Dino Mudondo, Nice Boi, Mbida Dee, Farai & The Forest Dawn, Huby Blakes and Oskid, among others.
“We are confident that we have built a platform stronger, better and more efficient than our global competitors,” Mangwiro and Guvamatanga said.
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