Josplay, Sony Music partner to expand access to African music catalogue

06 Apr 2026, 06:08 by Muhibat Sulaimon · TheCable Lifestyle

Josplay, the Afrocentric audio platform, says it has entered a partnership with Sony Music Entertainment (SME) to expand access to African music catalogues for listeners worldwide.

The partnership would allow Josplay users to gain access to a “significant portion” of Sony Music’s catalogue.

This includes recordings distributed through The Orchard, as well as the full catalogues of Lusafrica and Africa Nostra, both acquired by Sony Music France and Sony Music Publishing France in 2025.

Together, the Lusafrica and Africa Nostra catalogues feature more than 4,000 titles spanning over three decades of Lusophone and African music.

The collection also includes the complete works of Cesária Évora, widely credited with popularising morna music globally, alongside recordings from artistes such as Bonga, Boubacar Traoré, and Lura, representing the richness of Lusophone African music.

The deal also brings a wide range of global recordings from Sony Music’s roster to Josplay, supported by The Orchard’s distribution network across South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya.

Speaking about the partnership, George Ogala, Josplay’s CEO, said the partnership broadens the platform’s catalogue while reinforcing its mission to reflect the diversity of African music and serve its audience.

“This partnership deepens the catalogue available on Josplay while reinforcing why we built this ‎platform in the first place. African music is not one thing — it is Juju and Gnawa, Morna and Amapiano, Afrohouse and Tishoumaren,” he said.

“Our listeners know this. They live it. Every feature we build, and every partnership we announce, is in service of that truth.”

The platform said the partnership will expand access to ‘Frames,’ a feature that personalises music listening based on users’ cultural preferences and daily activities.

It revealed that the tool also suggests new songs while maintaining the distinct cultural context of each listener.

Josplay, which provides music, news, stories, and audiobooks to African audiences globally, said the collaboration underscores its dedication to celebrating African culture and improving music discovery for the diaspora.

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