Label services segment starts with more than 15000 titles, 50 label partners, and 100+ artists from more than 25 African nations, allowing independent African musicians and labels to access audiences across the continent and beyond.
Virgin Music Label & Artist Services has launched in Africa, according to Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment.
Virgin Music Label & Artist Services Africa is the newest division of Universal Music Group’s global network to open its doors, dedicated to providing premium and flexible artist and label services to the world’s most dynamic entrepreneurs and independent talent, and inspired and influenced by the iconic Virgin Records label’s spirit and ethos.
The division will focus on providing disruptive innovation and best-in-class services to the region’s next wave of independent artists, labels, influencers, and entrepreneurs, in order to help its roster achieve global success and further expand the reach of music culture from across the continent to the vast African diaspora, as well as to new fans and audiences around the world.
The division will launch with a catalog of over 15000 titles and more than fifty label partners from 25 countries, including Kesi Publishing (Panaf), Blue Diamond (Benin), Hope Music Groupe (CMR), Hitlab (Panaf), Hiquest (SNG), Yaye Boye (Fr), and releases from more than 100 of Africa’s top artists, including Youssou Ndour (SNG), Touré Kunda (SNG), Lokua Kanza (DR It will combine funding for independent African artists and labels with the first-ever digital release of historical and often long-out-of-print African music catalogs.
Virgin Music will launch in Africa under the direction of Guylaine Clery, Universal Music Africa’s current Director of International Development, and Félix Pea, Universal Music Africa’s Head of A&R, who will also serve as co-directors of the new division, which will report to Franck Kacou, Managing Director, Universal Music Africa.
“Our strategy for Virgin Music in Africa is predicated on an awareness that African cultural heritage has not yet fully found its home in the digital world and on DSPs internationally,” stated Franck Kacou, MD, Universal Music Africa. Indeed, because some of these services are only available in limited areas, this history is unevenly represented. Our goal is to create African music that showcases everything that Africa and its diaspora have to offer the rest of the world!
“We want to bring forgotten music back to life, and our research will go as far as digitizing them so that they can be accessed by as many people as possible, all over the world.” The establishment of this label services will allow for the preservation, dissemination, structuring, and promotion of Africa’s musical history of yesterday, now, and tomorrow, as well as global distribution services for Africa’s most exciting artists, labels, and entrepreneurs.”
“Launching Virgin Music LAS on the continent is in line with our long-term vision, both in terms of our relationship with labels and artists whose talent shines outside Africa, and in terms of developing our activities in this booming region of the world,” said Olivier Nusse, CEO and President of Universal Music France. Our experience and committed teams, together with the Virgin global network, provide a one-of-a-kind platform and breadth of options, but most importantly, tailored support for the continent’s labels and new artists.”
Virgin Music Label & Artist Services is a network of regional hubs strategically located in the world’s biggest music markets, providing premium artist and label services to the industry’s most creative entrepreneurs and independent talent.
Virgin Music Label & Artists Services was founded on the spirit and ethos of the Virgin brand, which has long been associated with disruptive innovation and musical creativity. It offers artists and labels global and regional solutions and resources from fully staffed operations in major music markets, including the fast-growing Latin music territories, with more to come.
Virgin Records, founded by Sir Richard Branson in the United Kingdom in 1972, has contributed to reinvent music culture for nearly half a century. From its pioneering roots in prog, reggae, punk, and new wave, independent music distribution and disruption have been a crucial driver in Virgin’s global success. David Bowie, The Sex Pistols, Aaliyah, The Rolling Stones, George Michael, Janet Jackson, Lenny Kravitz, Culture Club, Massive Attack, and the Spice Girls were among the most important and revered musicians of the previous century, and Virgin Records was their home.
Virgin Music Label & Artist Services has opened operations in the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Central Europe, as well as Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Western Balkans, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, and Portugal, since its inception in January 2021.
Universal Music Group is a music publishing company based in the United States.
We exist at Universal Music Group to use the power of art to impact culture. With companies in recorded music, music publishing, merchandise, and audiovisual content, UMG is the world leader in music-based entertainment.
UMG identifies and develops artists, produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world, and has the most complete archive of recordings and songs across every musical genre.
UMG fosters the creation of services, platforms, and business models in order to widen artistic and commercial options for our artists and create new experiences for fans. UMG is committed to creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.