Josplay, Sony Music Partner to Broaden Access to African Music Catalogue

Vanessa Obioha

Josplay, an Afrocentric audio platform serving the global African diaspora, has announced a content partnership with Sony Music Entertainment aimed at expanding access to African and global music catalogues for listeners worldwide.

Under the agreement, Josplay users will gain access to a significant portion of Sony Music’s catalogue, including recordings distributed through The Orchard, as well as the complete catalogues of Lusafrica and Africa Nostra—labels acquired by Sony Music France and Sony Music Publishing France in 2025.

The Lusafrica and Africa Nostra catalogues together feature more than 4,000 titles spanning over three decades of Lusophone and African music. Among the notable artists included are the Cape Verdean Cesária Évora, widely regarded for popularising morna music globally, alongside Bonga, Boubacar Traoré, and Lura.

The partnership also extends to Sony Music’s global roster, leveraging The Orchard’s distribution infrastructure across key African markets, including South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya.

Speaking on the development, Josplay’s Chief Operating Officer, George Ogala, said the collaboration aligns with the platform’s mission to reflect the diversity of African music.

“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.

To mark the partnership, Josplay will expand access to its “Frames” feature, a listening experience designed to reflect culturally specific music consumption habits. Unlike traditional playlists, Frames allows users to curate sessions around daily activities, such as commuting or unwinding, using culturally rooted “seed” songs, albums, or artists, while introducing new music through a personalised discovery mix.

The company stated that the feature is designed to preserve the diversity of African music traditions, rather than flattening them into broad categories, and offers listeners a more contextual and culturally relevant experience.

Josplay, which delivers music, news, stories, and audiobooks to African audiences globally, said the partnership underscores its broader commitment to amplifying African culture and improving discovery for diaspora listeners.