Slated for the 5th to the 8th of September, the event is aimed at bringing together music lovers and creative enthusiasts to experience the vibrant sounds, stunning art, streetwear that represent the culture of Cape Town. The event will feature a playlist launch party, a high-energy rave, an exciting street party, an after-party which will culminate in a finale event in Khayelitsha among other exciting attractions.

Cape Town is renowned not only for its natural beauty and historical significance but also as the Mother City and a hub for producing globally recognized music artists. Spotify acknowledges Cape Town’s role in nurturing South Africa’s music stars, and the MOM: Mother of Music event underscores this recognition. 

“Cape Town, as a cultural destination, is the perfect stage for MOM: Mother of Music. This event honours the city’s extraordinary contribution to local and global music sub-scenes and fuels the creative spirit of its upcoming artists. Through MOM, we aim to celebrate the past, present, and future of Cape Town’s music culture,” said Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa, Phiona Okumu. 

As part of the celebrations for the MOM: Mother of Music event, Spotify has launched a dedicated playlist, a curated collection of tracks celebrating the diverse and dynamic sounds of Cape Town. The event is free and open to all music enthusiasts, media, the wider music industry, and the Gen Z community. All you have to do is register via the MOM: Mother of Music dedicated microsite.

As part of the same partnership, Spotify and COLORSxSTUDIOS had a week-long writing camp in Nairobi, Kenya during the first week of October, bringing together singers, songwriters and producers from Africa and the diaspora. Nairobi R&B fans were treated to a party on 6 October, wrapping up the writing camp, and celebrating the genre and its amazing artists. Afro R&B is one of the growing genres in Africa, and in Kenya specifically, it is in the top five most streamed genres. 

First up is singer-songwriter Lisa Oduor-Noah, who performed her single For Keeps, a song she wrote in 2017. In Lisa’s own words, “it’s crazy when some of your wildest dreams, things that you looked at from so far away, actually happen”. Lisa is currently on the cover of Tantalizers, Spotify Africa’s flagship R&B playlist, and the home of all the original A COLORS SHOW recordings. Her full performance, and video is live at https://colorsxstudios.com/artists/lisa-oduor-noah.

Xenia Manasseh, also a singer-songwriter and a Spotify RADAR artist, takes the stage next with her enchanting vocals, and relatable lyrics. On Wild Ride, a song she wrote in 2022, Xenia transports the listeners on a journey that reflects her personal experiences. The artist, who has written songs for some of the industry’s big names, encourages her audience to “keep dreaming, and keep following your dreams”. 

“This is the first time that any Kenyan artist is performing on A COLORS SHOW and we are honored to have been able to bring this collaboration to life. Our mission of elevating African artists to global stages continues, and we cannot wait for audiences all around the world to discover the amazing R&B talent that Kenya has to offer,” says Monica Kemoli-Savanne, Spotify’s Artist & Label Partnerships Manager, East Africa.

There is still a lot more in store, so fans should watch this space, and check out Spotify Africa to know when new episodes drop. 

Modern storytelling, albeit in a different format, is no different. Podcasting is the medium that we are now accustomed to, and it has grown exponentially in the last five years. These tales, traditional as they are, have made their way to the modern world of podcasting, through the playwright and writer Dr. Gcina Mhlophe’s newly launched podcast, African Story Magic with Gcina Mhlophe narrated in isiZulu and English targeted at children. African beliefs and identity is another key part of heritage, and The Journey Kwantu delves further into this, hosted by Vusumzi Ngxande. 

It does not just stop at folktales and African spirituality, after all, when storytelling takes form in a native language, it is bound to intimately captivate its audience. The IsiXhosa podcast Epokothweni with Babalwa Nonkenge which focuses on personal finance is a perfect example.  

“When we launched Spotify for Podcasters as an all-new, first-of-its-kind platform with everything needed to create and grow a podcast, we wanted to remove the barriers that are often the hindrance when venturing into the podcast space. Removal of these barriers enables authentically South African storytelling to shine, and it is encouraging to see podcasts in different languages and with diverse content making waves on the platform”, says Ncebakazi Manzi, Podcast Manager for Spotify Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Epokothweni with Babalwa Nonkenge, African Story Magic with Gcina Mhlophe, and The Journey Kwantu podcasts are important in the modern world of storytelling. The modern world is often presented as the opposite of culture, the opposite of native languages, especially amongst the younger generation, the majority of whom make up the highest age group at over 32% consuming podcast content in South Africa. 

The Spotify 90 day data further reveals podcast medium grew between 2021 and 2022 by 65%, showing no signs of slowing down. The growth coincided with the After School Is After School With Sis G.U launch in 2021, one of South Africa’s top ten beloved podcasts on Spotify. As for timing, during the commute in the morning between 07:00 and 09:00 and again in the afternoon between 16:00 and 17:00 seems to be the most popular hours. It is not surprising therefore that South African listeners listen to more podcasts than any other country in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

The band is about to kick off an European tour this August, and the excitement is building up among their fans. Over the last 28 days, Mi Casa’s Spotify streams have reflected the buzz for their forthcoming tour. Most of the countries they are touring are among the top ten places streaming their music. Germany, United Kingdom, where they are starting the tour, Netherlands, France and Spain are all in the top ten countries listening to their music. 

Speaking on the new release, J’Something said, “Not Alone is a song I wrote in 2019 and in all honesty never intended to release it. It’s a song I actually wrote for myself, to remind myself how even though at times I may feel alone I do have a very real connection between body and spirit. In 2019 I embarked on a new personal journey where I decided to try my utmost best to “unbox” myself from as much as possible and allow myself the freedom to explore my one life, one day at a time. This song isn’t part of a specific religion per se but more so around something that religion so beautifully teaches us and that is the idea that we all have a spiritual connection to a higher power. All I hope is that this song lands on fertile soil. You are not alone.”

As part of the on-platform support, Spotify has included the new single in the Fresh Gospel Africa, Fresh Gospel, Gospel Greatness, and Be Lifted playlists. The playlists have over three hundred thirty-five thousand listeners combined and appeal to an inspirational, gospel music demographic; so Not Alone will be in good company. 

“We’ve experienced J’Something’s artistry as a part of Mi Casa but with Not Alone, he seems to be reinventing his sound with something different from what we would usually expect from him. We are proud to stand behind this single at Spotify and bring it to our listeners,” said Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music in Sub Saharan Africa.

The documentary, titled Freedom Sounds: From Kwaito to Amapiano, features chart-topping Kwaito and Amapiano musicians like Oskido, Thandiswa Mazwai, Young Stunna and Uncle Waffles, telling the authentic, layered story of how these musical genres are linked to the expression of freedom.

“Our 28th year of freedom comes at a time when positivity and hope for our future are much-needed. Our music culture and creative community continue to serve as a source of relief, pride, escape, opportunity, and hope for our future,” says Melanie Triegaardt, Spotify’s head of music strategy and operations in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“With this documentary, we want to showcase the importance of the creative community in freedom of expression and showcase the similarities and differences of eras seen through music culture in South Africa,” she adds.

The playlists, Sound of Freedom and Kwaito Classics, each contain hit tracks by South African musical icons that pay homage to the sounds of South Africa’s streets.  Kwaito Classics spotlights creators like Thebe, M’Du, Trompies, Bongo Maffin and TkZee, their songs evoking the rhythm and musical heartbeat that would give rise to genres like Gqom, South African House/Dance, and, contemporarily, Amapiano. 

According to Spotify data in the last three months, the sounds of Kwaito continue to resound both locally and internationally. Over the past 90 days, streams were generated as far and wide as countries such as the UK, USA, Germany, and Australia – all listed among the top 5 sources of Kwaito streams outside of South Africa. What also emerges from the data is that Kwaito’s popularity is not specific to any particular age range, with music lovers between the ages of 18 and 44 all listening to the genre in equal measure, at an average of about 22% for each age band.

With the inception of Amapiano music in 2012, many new musicians came to SA’s music scene and built the genre into the increasingly popular export that it is today – and the global stage Spotify provides has just launched Amapiano even further across the world. 

In recognition of Amapiano’s cultural significance, Spotify aims to educate, celebrate, and spotlight popular South African genres and their history. 

SOUNDS OF SOUTH AFRICAN STREETS: A HISTORY OF SA GENRES

One cannot speak about South African music without recognising its inherent ties to South Africa’s history. Kwaito, which originated from Soweto and coincided with Nelson Mandela’s inauguration, was a genre arising from the post-apartheid zeitgeist, and which moved into the mainstream in a big way. 

Kwaito, for many, started as the sound of freedom in South African streets, with musicians of colour now able to access the industry and find global recognition. From there, Kwaito would give rise to its evolutions: Gqom, South African House/Dance, and, contemporarily, Amapiano.

Over the past 90 days, South Africa–based music lovers led Amapiano listens and generated a whopping 149 million streams of tracks in the genre on Spotify. Combined listeners in the U.K., U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, and France generated streams reaching 42 million while streams generated in Nigeria, Botswana, Kenya, and Namibia came up to 16 million. In total, the top 10 countries streaming Amapiano over the past three months produced a total of roughly 207 million streams.

SUPPORTING MZANSI MUSIC: EDUCATING, CELEBRATING, SPOTLIGHTING

Spotify values amplifying artists and accessibility – both for musicians and for listeners. In Spotify’s mission to support the South African music scene, these values are central. Below are some of the ways in which Spotify is elevating South African music. 

WHAT THE STATS SAY ABOUT LISTENERSHIP

• Kwaito has fans across the board, with listeners spanning 18 to 44 years of age
• Amapiano’s listenership is almost half Gen Zers, with 44% of listeners being between 18 and 24
• Outside of South Africa,  Kwaito, Gqom, and South African House/Dance all have huge audiences in Germany
• Consistent chart-topper DJ Maphorisa is the top artist on Spotify in the Amapiano genre

That means Spotify will be available across Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America/Caribbean. That also means Spotify will potentially get over a billion people who until now couldn’t officially sign up to the platform, the company claims.

The list of countries getting Spotify are: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Curaçao, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

As with the existing locations, there’ll be both free and Premium subscription plans available, the former supported by advertising while the latter does away with that for a monthly fee. Exactly how much Spotify Premium will cost will depend on location. In some markets, Spotify says, it’ll also offer a choice of Individual, Family, Duo, and Student Plan options, which include things like service for multiple family members for a reduced overall cost.

The Spotify worldwide catalogue will also be available, and the company says that it will offer the full global catalogue in the new markets. That’s in contrast to some streaming media services, particularly in video, where availability of content can vary dramatically depending on where you’re logging in from.

As you’d hope, Spotify will be working with local musicians and podcasts to bolster out its regional content. Initially, streaming will be available via the mobile apps and Spotify’s desktop software for PC and Mac. Other methods – like connected speakers, wearables, TV, and in the car – will apparently follow on in due course.

Since its introduction to South Africa, Spotify has never had a Family plan and Spotify thinks that they can do better.

Today, the company rolled out their new Premium Family Plan in Mzansi. The new plan has a single price, regardless of how many accounts are tied to it (with a maximum of 6). The price? Just R99.99 per month. Each user still gets their own individual account, with their own playlists and saved music. You won’t be losing any features with this new plan, you’ll just be saving money. Considering that YouTube’s Music Premium Family plan comes in at R89.99, it’s up to you as to exactly how much you’ll be saving.

For those who want to have separate plans for each member of their family, this is a fantastic deal plus it includes exciting features such as Family Mix, Parental Controls and Family Hub.

The music industry is constantly releasing new albums at a ridiculous rate, making it easy to miss a few gems in a sea of new music. Spotify is rolling out another curated playlist that might help with some of those new release blues, introducing the world to a relaunch of its service Radar today.

Radar seems to be a companion playlist to the already-existing New Music Friday. Whereas New Music Friday is meant to introduce you to new artists you may have never heard of,  Radar is a playlist that will populate with new songs from artists you listen to the most.

Radar doesn’t just include new music from your most followed artists, as Spotify will also use your listening habits to find a handful of tracks you may not have heard before and drop them into the mix. Spotify says that Radar will evolve as you listen more, presumably becoming better at predicting which artists you’re most interested in. You’ll also be able to share your version of Release Radar with friends or download it for offline listening.

If it hasn’t already appeared yet, Radar should soon be available in the “New Releases for You” section of the “Discover” menu when you access Spotify on desktop or mobile. Radar is just the latest curated playlist Spotify is offering up to users, and between it and New Music Friday, it sounds like the company is trying to make sure its users have enough new music as they head off into the weekend – something we’re sure at least a few of the service’s more than 100 million active listeners will like.

There’s little doubt that streaming media is one of the biggest consumers of data on the Internet. And yet, at the same time, it’s also the most common use of data, no matter where in the world you are. Or no matter your phone for that matter.

Spotify created Spotify Lite to cater to those with more constrained budgets, be it for the phones themselves or for their cellular data plans. Like other “lite” apps, its focus is on reducing the amount of data the app takes up on the phone and controlling the amount of cellular data the app uses up.

For one, the app itself is only 10 MB in size which might actually already be a bit big as far as lite apps go. Users can also set limits on how much data the app consumes so you won’t get overcharged when you go beyond your allowed caps. Users can also clean up the app’s cache to free up space without having to dig through Android’s settings.

Naturally, those optimizations may come with trade offs but Spotify doesn’t go into detail on what those are. Instead, it promises the same Spotify experience on the Lite app. Any changes to your account or favorite playlists would also be reflected in the main app as well. Spotify Lite is rolling out in 36 countries with more to come and can be installed on any Android device running version Android 4.3 or later.

ULTRA South Africa, Africa’s largest electronic music festival, have recently announced some big news, for the first time in South Africa – The Chainsmokers will perform their full LIVE show on the Ultra SA main stages in March 2019.

The Chainsmokers are the only Electronic/Dance Artist with more than a billion plays on Spotify per song with their massive hits “Closer (ft. Halsey)” and “Don’t Let Me Down (ft. Daya)”.

Their debut album “Memories…Do Not Open” remains the Third-Longest-Running No. 1 on The Billboard Dance Chart, and their list of awards goes on for miles including this year’s Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Artist; Top Dance/Electronic Song & Top Dance/Electronic Album as well as a Grammy for last year’s Best Dance Recording.

“Bringing The Chainsmokers LIVE here is massive news for Ultra SA,” said Shaun Duvet, Showtime Management (Pty) Ltd, official Licensee of Ultra Worldwide..  “We have always prided ourselves on bringing only the biggest names in dance music, but the Chains have been on our wish-list for a while and we’re unbelievably excited to show local fans how incredible this duo truly is.”

The Chainsmokers not only have over a billion Spotify plays and numerous other accolades, but put on a live show that is incomparable. More International acts are set to be announced in due time but what a massive way to officially kick things off!