Sony Music and its subsidiaries, AWAL and The Orchard, have removed their entire music catalogs from Boomplay, one of Africa's largest music streaming platforms, due to unpaid royalties dating back to 2021.

Boomplay, which boasts 95 million monthly active users, has allegedly failed to pay royalties for the past two years. The platform offers both streaming and download options, with territory-specific payout rates for artists.

The removal affects numerous high-profile artists, including Davido, Wizkid, Tems, and Lojay. This development follows previous complaints from smaller artists about payment issues, including gospel artist Celestine Donkor, whose husband publicly stated they hadn't received royalties for over a year.

The situation has become particularly concerning amid rumors of Boomplay potentially closing its Ghana office, with artists and rights holders demanding immediate payment of outstanding royalties.

Boomplay had previously secured deals with all three major labels by 2019 and added Merlin's independent artists in 2021, establishing itself as a dominant music platform in Nigeria through its freemium and premium subscription models.

Related Articles

Previous Articles