Sony Music Removes Entire Catalog From Boomplay Amid Royalty Payment Dispute

Sony Music Removes Entire Catalog From Boomplay Amid Royalty Payment Dispute

By Marcus Stevenson

December 10, 2024 at 07:42 AM

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.

Sony Music and Boomplay logos

Sony Music and Boomplay logos

Boomplay, which boasts 95 million monthly active users across Africa, offers both free and premium streaming plans as well as paid downloads. The platform had previously secured deals with all three major labels by 2019 and added Merlin's independent artists in 2021.

The removal affects numerous high-profile artists including Davido, Wizkid, Tems, and Lojay. Artists on the platform typically receive territory-specific wholesale rates for downloaded songs, in addition to streaming royalties.

The royalty payment issues extend beyond Sony Music. Gospel artist Celestine Donkor and other smaller artists have reported similar non-payment problems. Donkor's husband publicly stated they haven't received royalties for over a year and raised concerns about Boomplay potentially closing its Ghana office.

This situation highlights growing concerns about royalty payment reliability in the African music streaming market, particularly as Boomplay has emerged as a dominant player in the region, especially in Nigeria.

Lainey Wilson in hat and coat

Lainey Wilson in hat and coat

Lizzo singing into a microphone

Lizzo singing into a microphone

Gavel in courtroom

Gavel in courtroom

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