Music streaming in South Africa is climbing rapidly [REPORT]

Music streaming in South Africa is climbing rapidly [REPORT]

Music streaming is becoming a flowing river of revenue says the music industry.

In this digital age where the internet and pirates wreak havoc on the treasure that is revenue, record labels and such have had to revamp their process of obtaining revenue. CDs might as well be cassettes so if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. 

South Africa has jumped into music streaming so much in the past year that the revenue obtained therefrom has increased by 334.2%, IFPI claimed in its latest report.

Percentages don’t allow the gravity of this statement to be felt so let’s look at the figures.

In 2015, the revenue obtained from music streaming in South Africa was $1,877,000 (+- R25 million).

An increase of 334.2% brings the revenue obtained in 2016 to an incredible $8,150,000 (+-R107 million.) I’m not a mathematician but even I can figure out it quadrupled within a year.

These streams include revenue from subscription and ad-supported streaming services, as well as video streams.

Music streaming gold.

Sipho Dlamini, the managing director of Universal Music South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa noted that there are “over 250 000 paying subscribers on streaming services” and that they “expect the market to grow.”

At the top of the list of biggest streaming services in South Africa is none other than Apple Music.

At R59/month for subscription you get access to unlimited music on the catalogue, your customised library as well as offline play. There is also a “family sharing” option where you pay R89/month for up to 6 people. 

Google play is another streaming giant with a catalogue of over 35 million tracks. It has 3 options including streaming, uploading and purchasing as well as other bells and whistles all for R59/month. 

Deezer is also climbing the ranks and worth a check-out. 

If this is the beginning of music streaming growth in South Africa, we might soon start calling it music flooding.