The music streaming business is very competitive but is growing steadily thanks to availability of smartphones and internet access. Boomplay is one of the leading players in this sector. In a recent interview with TechArena, Martha Huro, Managing Director, Boomplay East Africa revealed that they have achieved a remarkable milestone in Kenya. With its roots planted in 2017, Boomplay has steadily grown its user base and brand recognition in the country, reaching 4.2 million monthly active users. This is not just the registered users but those actively using the service.
Boomplay’s journey in Kenya has been one of steady growth and adaptation. Since its inception, the platform has carved a niche for itself in a highly competitive market. The gradual ascent to 4.2 million monthly users. Growth hasn’t been by chance as the Boomplay app comes pre-installed in almost all if not all smartphones by Infinix and Tecno. Most people start using it as their main music player on these devices and since it works perfectly at that, they see no reason of downloading any other app.
Boomplay’s Growth Strategy
User engagement has been a cornerstone of Boomplay’s strategy for growth. Rather than simply being a music repository, the platform has actively engaged its users, fostering a sense of community among music lovers. It has also been instrumental in supporting local Kenyan artistes. These artistes help the Boomplay reach even a bigger audience as they do talk about the service or even share links to their songs on the platform.
One successful initiative, the Golden Club, has shone a spotlight on artists like Otile Brown, celebrating their achievements not only in Kenya but across the African continent. Boomplay has also actively collaborated with artists and record labels, nurturing the careers of musicians like Nadia Mukami, Khaligraph Jones, and Bahati.
Boomplay also takes its music experience to the streets with offline campaigns and activation initiatives, ensuring that users can interact with the brand in real-life settings, such as on university campuses.
The Boomplay app offers both freemium and premium music streaming experiences, with a “For You” section that tailors content recommendations based on user preferences and in-app activity. Additionally, features like BoomLive (for content creators), BoomGames (for gaming enthusiasts), and BoomBuzz (for social interaction) enrich the overall user experience.
Music streaming in Kenya and Africa in General is still growing and hopefully this means more revenue for artistes. Below is a look at the revenue generated for music streaming apps in Africa. Data is by Statista.