New mobile music service for Africa
VALUE ADDED SERVICES
By BiztechAfrica – March 13, 2013, 3:13 p.m.
Universal Music Group, in partnership with Samsung, as well as African and international music labels and publishers, has launched a pan-African mobile music streaming service called the Kleek. Designed and built specifically for Africa, The Kleek will bring music lovers closer to their favourite artists, while also providing artists with valuable access to a wider pan-African audience.
The Kleek was officially unveiled today at the Samsung Africa Forum in Cape Town, accompanied by a live performance from acclaimed singer-songwriter Zahara. The 25-year-old Eastern Cape artist performed songs from her nine times SAMA-winning debut album ‘Loliwe’.
“With the Kleek, we are not just delivering the best local and international music, we are providing all of Africa with a unique and bespoke user experience,” explained Randall Abrahams, Managing Director, Universal Music South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. “The service will also help us focus on developing future stars from across the continent,” Abrahams added.
Universal Music has partnered with Samsung Electronics Africa, who will be the exclusive smartphone partner for the Kleek for the first two years. The Kleek, which has been optimised for Samsung smartphones, will initially be available free to users. Through the application users will have access to a massive range of content, including artist, genre and celebrity playlists; exclusive album previews; artist diaries and charts.
“Samsung smartphone devices are optimised for high quality sound, and are ideal for the Kleek,” said Thabiet Allie, Head of Content and Services at Samsung Electronics Africa. “Samsung recognises that the African market is very different to that of its European, Asian and American counterparts. We are thus, through our Built for Africa initiatives, focused on building services and partnering with the best local and international content owners and this partnership is testament to that,” concluded Allie.
Max Hole, Chairman & CEO Universal Music Group International, commented, “By investing in the Kleek we’re providing a platform for the very best of African talent to reach a wider audience. With the explosion of smartphones and other mobile devices, the Kleek has the potential to attract tens of millions of music fans across Africa.”
