Irvine Partners, a multi-national public relations and integrated marketing agency, has been awarded the Spotify communications account in Sub-Saharan Africa.

They commenced work last month, heading up all PR activities in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Spotify is the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service, with a community of more than 356 million monthly active users and 158 million Premium subscribers. With a presence in 178 markets, and more than 70 million tracks (including 2.6 million podcast titles), it has transformed the way people access and enjoy music and podcasts.

Spotify is therefore well placed to provide relevant commentary on music and audio streaming, with focus on the African continent.

Michelle Atagana, Head of Communications and Public Relations for Sub-Saharan Africa, says that championing new genre discovery by being a leading partner for creators is a big focus for the brand.

“With Irvine Partners on board as our communications agency, we look forward to strengthening our positioning and commitment to the African market. Music, creativity, and storytelling is a great part of African culture, and we’re focusing on articulating Spotify’s offering for listeners and creators across the continent,” says Atagana.

There has been exponential growth in interest in African music, particularly Afrobeats, Amapiano and Gengetone, and Spotify aims to amplify artists from the continent.

Earlier this year, Spotify Africa introduced their EQUAL Artist Programme - their latest commitment to fostering equity for women in music globally. DBN Gogo, a DJ based in South Africa, was October’s Artist of the Month. Previous Artists of the Month include Nigerian star Tiwa Savage and Kenya’s Ssaru wa Manyaru.

“Film does well on our continent, as does arts and culture, and with the rise of self-publishing artists, we’re continually introduced to new talent in our own backyard. There is massive potential for Africa’s musicians and creatives, and we believe that Spotify Africa is well placed to be part of a movement that is calling on decision-makers and audiences to open up the industry and to diversify it with multi-layered talent and artistry.

"We’re looking forward to being part of this new era in entertainment with Spotify,” says Irvine Partners CEO, Rachel Irvine.

The agency will handle all media enquiries around Spotify in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania which may be directed to spotifypr@irvinepartners.co.za.