Apple has recently launched another program to elevate up and coming artists from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, and most of Africa. This is not a big surprise considering African music is increasingly becoming an important player in the global music scene and Apple has clearly noticed.
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| Image: Apple |
The new initiative dubbed 'Africa Rising' is deliberately intended to boost artists from the continent. A part of 'Africa Rising' is focused on the selection of generally talented musicians and curating their songs into a playlist which will be made available in all 167 African countries worldwide where Apple music can be accessed.
Aside from choosing a couple of songs from these artists and curating them into a playlist, the editorial team at Apple Music will surmise and pick one artist to be spotlighted. Every two months, the process will be repeated and the featured artist within that period will see their music globally promoted.
Currently, the Africa Rising playlist is already live and it features songs from Rema, a well-known young Nigerian artist, FireboyDML and Omah Lay, the very first featured artist on the new platform—check it out on Apple Music here.
AND WE’RE LIVE!! #GetLayd NOW AVAILABLE ON ALL STORES! 🟣https://t.co/GqynZrrQ7L pic.twitter.com/pVaTeRLFxq— Omah Lay (@Omah_Lay) May 21, 2020
Though a very exciting move for both Apple and the people within the African continent, it should be a wake-up call for their competitors, particularly Spotify which is not still accessible in many African countries yet.