Today (Jan 19, 2009), Keevision announces the launch of Africori, the first business-to-business licensing platform for African music, offering artists from the region a world-class site to promote their works to TV and film production companies, video games developers, advertising agencies and other licensors of music.
Already 2000 tracks are available through Africori for global licensing. Artists and labels who have entrusted Africori with their music include African Cream Music, African Dope records and SlingBeats Entertainment. Hilton “Roach” Roth founder of African Dope, says “For me, Africori is a great opportunity for African content owners and global music users who will be astounded by what the continent has to offer musically, but more importantly it’s exactly the kind of platform, filter and business model that is going to be required for African music to reach its market and thrive in the 21st century. I’m excited”.
“Africori offers to all the musicians from the continent the opportunity to reach music users and licensors from around the world and generate revenues from the licensing of their music,” explains Cape Town, South Africa-based Africori founder and CEO Yoel Kenan. “We have the ambition to become the one-stop-shop for all the music supervisors looking for original, pre-cleared music from Africa.”
Adds Kenan, “In today’s African environment, artists have very few opportunities to live from their music due to rampant piracy and a lack of business infrastructure. Africori aims to provide a sustainable model for independent artists across Africa while offering the same quality and respect for rights owners that could be found in developed countries. Africori will give creators the opportunity to gain new audiences and access new streams of revenues, without compromising on their rights and their art.”
Keevision is a South-African-based company with offices in Cape Town and London, launched in 2005 by music industry and new media veteran Yoel Kenan ( MP3.com, Universal Music, BMG).