Liberian music over the years has become a flourishing and thriving sound with a growth in music creation and musical usage.
In previous years the industry has been slow in consuming and accepting Liberian music, with genres such as Hip-Co, Gbama and Trapco. Not that the sounds were not creative and vibrant enough, but the lack in structure and quality was affecting its reach, which made it difficult for musicians to compete on an international scale. The new era of digitally monetized music and metadata technique brings significant improvements and helps the music and creative community thrive in this digital age.
As a music executive, media maven, and CEO of AfroXilla Media. I oversee strategic execution for all marketing campaigns, brand collaborations and innovation projects for the company. Established in 2014, AfroXilla showcases a positive narrative on African culture by changing the mindsets of people who may not be aware of the glories that the continent of Africa has to offer; while providing quality digital media coverage on current events, entertainment and lifestyle. My team and I have officially launched AX Distribution, which is the music management side of AfroXilla Media to ensure global distribution of African music and royalty collection.
The process of getting Liberian artists to have access to distribution platforms was a challenging one. Realizing the lack of representation of Liberian music on DSPs ( digital streaming platforms) I knew there was a problem that needed to be solved in order to reach a larger market. I diligently contacted several distribution platforms and sent out emails to managing directors and representatives. The top Liberian artists were presented along with their musical works. Some distribution platforms never responded and some sent a rejection email stating the industry wasn’t advanced enough compared to other African markets. One particular well known platform said they were “operating at capacity” and had to be very selective about who they worked with. In other words, they are interested in working with more established or “popular” artists rather than giving talented up and coming artists a platform to grow.
Shortly after that, we finally closed a distribution deal with a platform based in the US which was exciting! This deal allowed for artist to distribute their catalogs to over 280 online music stores. Although this was a great opportunity, I realized that it’s important to create our own opportunities and pave our own way. There is nothing that others are doing that we can not do! With persistence, research and the willingness to learn, we can create our own and be innovative. So my team and I at AfroXilla decided to establish a distribution platform and connect with publishing companies to administer catalog management, licensing and royalty collection.
AX Distro is a music management service that represents artist’s creative works by protecting their catalogs. I wanted to bring to my community a technology system to track recordings so artists and producers can be compensated from their creativity also, distributing their music so they can reach a larger audience. Royalties can make a huge difference in an artist’s survival. Music management will bring significant change in the Liberian music industry. My goal is to teach other music executives and music creators what I had to learn on my own about the music business. I know these services will change the game and hopefully leave a long lasting impact that the next generation of music creators can benefit from.
AX Distro is not a record label but a service provider that manages music by working with international partners on distribution and publishing to maximize royalty collection and data analytics.
For over 7 years, AfroXilla Media has had the pleasure of working with prominent names in the music industry such as; Eric Geso, Davido, DenG, Reekado Banks, Bucky Raw just to mention a few. The brand has been creating platforms and avenues for African talents to be recognized on a global scale before it was accepted by mainstream media. AfroXilla was created to bridge the gap between African culture and the rest of the world out of my ability to be a cultural liaison for Africa and the diaspora.
The global digital music distribution platform AX Distro, is an extension of my aim to build the culture and promote economic development. Fortunately, we managed to partner with some of the worlds major digital stores including Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Audiomack, Tidal, Youtube Music, Amazon Music among others and have forged partnerships with music experts based in Spain, America and the United Kingdom.
AX Distro will be officially launching the first week in January 2021 and signing artistes on a full-time management.