Kenya-based music service Mdundo has passed 36 million monthly active users (MAU), and is now prioritising hyperlocal markets to enhance the reach and impact of both its artists and advertisers, focusing on tailored content in key regions across the continent.
Launched in Kenya in 2013, Mdundo has become Africa’s leading pan-African music service, dedicated to providing music easily and legally across Africa. The company listed its shares on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Denmark in 2020, and subsequently saw a big boost in uptake, with 30.8 million monthly active users listening to music from over 172,000 content providers.
That number has since leapt to more than 36 million, with Mdundo focusing heaving on specific content development in different regions, spotlighting, for example, Kalenjin and Kamba music in Kenya and Western Uganda, Singeli in Tanzania, and Hausa in Nigeria.
The company said this new strategy enhances the platform’s appeal to localised audiences and also significantly boosts the visibility and income potential for artists creating within these niches. By localising content, Mdundo also adds incremental value to its advertising clients.
Looking ahead, Mdundo is projecting royalties payouts of between US$1.1 million and US$1.3 million in 2025, which it said underscores the platform’s role in ensuring that artists are compensated fairly and that their creative output leads to tangible financial success.
“Our commitment is to deliver consistent and meaningful earnings, helping individual artists grow while fostering the broader development of Africa’s music industry,” said Martin Nielsen, CEO of Mdundo.
