UMG signs licensing deal with music service Mdundo for key African territories

Mdundo.com A/S has reached an agreement with Universal Music Group to license the service across key African territories. 

Through this new agreement, UMG’s catalogue will be available to Mdundo’s 17 million active monthly users across Africa.

The new licensing deal will further increase Universal Music Africa’s (UMA’s) reach within the African market.

Mdundo CEO Martin Møller Nielsen said: “Our focus is to provide a relevant service to the hundreds of millions of potential users in Africa that are getting online. In recent years, Mdundo.com has reported explosive growth, from five million monthly users in June 2020 to an expected 19-20 million monthly active users in June 2022 and a +225% growth in revenue for the year ending June 2022. 

“As the leading music company globally, we are extremely pleased to work with Universal Music within Africa towards our vision of providing Africa with an easy and legal solution to accessing music that fits the local consumers”.

Mdundo’s growth has primarily been achieved in Nigeria, with additional growth in Tanzania, Kenya, and Ghana. The music service has been focusing on securing music rights for local African catalogue and has in the last year announced partnerships with telecommunication companies, Vodacom Tanzania, MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria.

Over the past decade, UMA has expanded and grown its reach on the continent and has two established regional headquarters facilities in Africa – in Johannesburg, South Africa and Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire – with additional offices in Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon, Kenya, and Morocco. 

UMG has also launched a series of labels dedicated to supporting the continent’s talent, including Def Jam Africa, Blue Note Africa and Motown Gospel Africa. 

“UMG is committed to helping build out the continent’s entire music ecosystem, helping artists succeed locally and regionally, whilst also introducing African music culture and content to new audiences around the world,” said a statement.

Ulrik Cahn, UMG’s executive vice president for Africa, the Middle East and Asia (AMEA) region said: “Martin and his team have built an impressive platform for African artists, and we look forward to working together to expand the footprint for our African and international talent within the continent.”

Sipho Dlamini, CEO of Universal Music South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa, said: “We welcome Mdundo as a partner, and are excited for more fans across Africa to have greater access to some of Africa’s most exciting musical talent, as well as UMG’s unrivalled catalogue of international artists.”