Sony Music Entertainment has teamed up with Ghanaian-owned music company Crux Global to provide support to artists based in Ghana.
Crux Global has been providing digital distribution services to local artists for over six years. Its biggest successes include the release of Sugarcane (Remix) featuring Camidoh, King Promise, Darkoo, and Mayorkun.
The track has amassed over 100 million views on YouTube and 150 million streams on digital platforms. Sugarcane was released via a previous partnership with MOVES Recording.
Additionally, Crux Global holds annual writing camps and educational summits to develop and support the Ghanaian music industry.
Sony says that the partnership comprises three “distinct tiers of support for emerging talent through to established artists”.
Sony Music’s distribution company, The Orchard, will handle a ‘Distribution Tier’. Sony adds that this tier “empowers independent artists in Ghana with the tools and resources needed for global distribution.”
A so-called “Full-Service Tier”, according to Sony, will provide a “comprehensive full-service to artists under Sony Music Africa” including production, marketing, and distribution.
Finally, the “Catalogue Music Tier” will see Sony bring what it calls “timeless catalogs” to Streaming Platforms to “ensure the rich musical heritage of renowned Ghanaian artists is preserved and accessible to new generations of music fans”.
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) was the fastest-growing music region in 2023, according to the IFPI. (It was also the fastest-growing music region in 2022.)
Recorded music revenues in Sub-Saharan Africa grew by 24.7% in 2023, fuelled, according to IFPI, by a 24.5% rise in paid streaming revenues.
Sony Music Africa’s Managing Director Sean Watson will oversee the new partnership, which will be headquartered in Accra, Ghana.
The partnership will also be overseen by Christel Kayibi, Director of Repertoire Strategy for Africa, and Jean-Sebastien Permal, Vice President of A&R for Continental Europe and Africa. With Accra as the hub, the partnership will focus on artist development, music distribution, and catalog management.
“This represents a significant step forward in our mission to support artists at every stage of their career and to bring the Ghanaian sound to a global audience.”
Sean Watson, Sony Music Africa
“We are excited to partner with Crux to tap into the incredible pool of talent in Ghana,” said Sean Watson. “This represents a significant step forward in our mission to support artists at every stage of their career and to bring the Ghanaian sound to a global audience.”
Ike Otoo Arhin, Co-Founder of Crux Global, added: “This partnership with Sony Music marks a pivotal moment for the music industry in Ghana.”
Kofi Kyei, Co-Founder of Crux Global, said: “By combining our local expertise with Sony Music’s global reach, we are confident that we can provide unparalleled opportunities for both emerging and established artists in Ghana.”
For Sony Music, the partnership comes as it continues to expand its presence in Africa. In 2016, the company opened its Nigeria office in Lagos to serve as the hub of its on-the-ground operations in West Africa.
Lanre Masha, Director, West Africa at The Orchard, told MBW nearly a year ago: “Young Africans are also finding their voices and starting to turn their backs on the idea that the West is the purveyor of all things cool. I see more and more kids wanting to be ‘African Giants’ that are ‘Made in Lagos.’”
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