Santa Monica-based mobile video platform StarNews Mobile has partnered with Sony Music Entertainment to promote Ivory Coast-based artists and monetize their content.
Resources are being allocated for filming, producing and editing exclusive artist content and broadcasting through StarNews channels.
Marketing will be implemented by StarNews and its telco partner, South Africa-based multinational company MTN, through SMS and digital campaigns.
Founded by CEO Guy Kamgaing, StarNews launched in the Ivory Coast in 2017 and allows celebrities and brands to monetize their fan bases in Africa.
StarNews recently raised $1.8 million in seed funding.
The platform is available in Cameroon, Congo and South Africa, in addition to the Ivory Coast, having established partnerships with large pan-African mobile operators such as MTN, Orange and MOOV in order to distribute exclusive video content directly to users.
It also plans to launch in Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and other countries.
The StarNews and Sony partnership was signed in 2019 and launched across the Ivory Coast with Ivorian artist, Ariel Sheney (pictured).
Sheney’s addition to the StarNews network was quickly followed by the integration of three new artist channels from Sony Ivory Coast including: Gabonese artist Shan’L, a group called Révolution and Mula.
StarNews and Sony plan to add Shan’L from Cameroon and Fabregas in Congo to its network in the coming months.
“This partnership not only solves an interesting challenge for the label, but more so for the artists.”
Bathilde Hyvernat-Imbert, Sony Music Ivory Coast
Bathilde Hyvernat-Imbert, Marketing Director of Sony Music Ivory Coast, said: “This partnership not only solves an interesting challenge for the label, but more so for the artists.
“Indeed, with this pandemic that affects the whole world, we had to reinvent our business to keep a permanent contact with the fans and compensate for the lack of entertainment with concerts and other shows cancelled.”
“With StarNews channels, artists can continue to entertain their audiences and stand out by sharing their exclusive daily lives.
“With MTN and StarNews, the partnership remains very dynamic and smart to constantly renew itself and offer the best entertainment on smartphones.”
“We are filling the gap to help African content producers generate income.”
Guy Kamgaing, StarNews Mobile
Guy Kamgaing, Founder and CEO of StarNews Mobile, added: “We are filling the gap to help African content producers generate income.
“A lot of the entertainment platforms do not pay creators or they consume so much data that they aren’t suitable nor do their revenue models cater to the marketplace.
“Today, StarNews has become a substantial income source for many artists. This year with the pandemic, several artists were unable to tour so that is where we come in to help supplement income and offer a revolutionary way to create and monetize artist content.”Music Business Worldwide
