Mokingo has been dubbed the new ‘ITunes for Africa’.

A music company- European Invincible – is set to invest 5.5 million pounds (N1.4 billion) in a new music platform for Africa called Mokingo.

Mokingo, dubbed as the new ‘ITunes for Africa’, has been in the making for four years and will be embedded into the Official African Charts site which will go live on June 1 2013.

The Mokingo music platform will provide artist, from within and outside Africa, the opportunity to release their music directly to millions of fans on the Mokingo and Official African Charts database.

Artists will have a chance to either provide their release with a price tag or offer as free download.

All registered artists will have a free account with direct access to 100 per cent of all the sales made on their account.

African chart

Official African Charts, Makingo’s host website, will automatically generate African Top 20 Best Singles and Album charts every Saturday at 7 p.m. (GMT) based on the most downloaded, most played or the highest sales on the Mokingo platform .

Ahead of the web launch, multiple award winning Nigerian pop group, P-Square, has claimed the 1st Number 1 in the newly launched Official African Charts for television.

“We are very proud to have been No.1 on the first ever Official African Charts powered by Makingo,” the P Square duo said. “The African music scene is the biggest it’s ever been. It’s the right time for Makingo and the Official African Charts to create this structure which will only lead to bigger success for African music worldwide”.

Since its launch, the Official African Charts TV show has seen several high profile guest appearances including Hollywood superstar, Samuel L Jackson.

“I have watched the Official African Charts TV show and after finding out of the soon to be launched Makingo platform, I think it is a great platform for the musicians from Africa,” Samuel Jackson said.

He added that the platform will help fans in the United States, Asia or Europe to have one destination to discover new music from Africa.

The Official African Charts, OAC, is Africa’s first independent global charts platform with its own Television programme which is filmed weekly and syndicated to over 30 countries with viewers in the UK and Europe also able to watch the charts via Sky channel 191.

“This is truly a historical moment,” CEO/Founder of Invincible, Jordan Kensington, said.

“The investment into Africa and music scene is key to establish a mainstream structure and vehicle where all African music artists
and labels can pass through to achieve greater success in radio play, bookings, sponsorship, concert sales and publicity within and outside Africa. Makingo will essentially provide the platform for artist all across Africa,” he added.

Africa’s next Superstar

The new music platform is also set to find “Africa’s Next Superstar” campaign throughout 30 countries in partnership with the European Urban Music Awards.

The continent wide competition, set to launch in August, will be the biggest of its kind with 30 countries participating and with a minimum of 15,000 artists per country auditioning for one artist to represent their country at the grand finale in Lagos, Nigeria where the winner will be announced live at the Urban Music Awards Africa event.

The Official African Charts and Mokingo platform aims to structure, monetize, promote and provide growth to the ever growing popularity of African musicians.