Spinlet and the future of new digital music in Nigeria

By Osagie Alonge

It’s 2012 and without a doubt one would infer that music has become the greatest metaphor for dialogue, commerce, and even political, social and economic revolution.

Recent statistics rate Nigeria as having the largest mobile telephone subscriber base in Africa. With the population almost reaching the 200 million mark, Nigeria already ‘boasts’ of over 100 million active user lines.

This is the market that Spinlet, Nigeria’s premier digital music download platform, has chosen to venture into.

Spinlet is an international digital music download service founded in 2006 in Finland and introduced to the Nigerian market on May 23, 2012.

Now with a catalogue of music comprising of hundreds of thousands of songs, spanning from genres such as ‘Akpala’ to ‘Techno’ and ‘Hip-hop’, subscribers are guaranteed, as the company puts it, ‘an exciting lifestyle experience’.

Subscribers wishing to download any song of their choice can do so by simply downloading the free Spinlet app to their mobile phone. After selecting any song of their choice, a fee (referred to as Spinlet credit) is deducted from the mobile device and the song is downloaded instantly.

But Spinlet will tell you that it’s more than just a ‘digital music platform’. ‘If this (music) is all Spinlet is about, he adds, we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation’, C.E.O Eric Idiahi explains.

‘Introducing Spinlet to Nigeria was really to facilitate a collective dream of inspiring a much needed change in the Nigerian music industry. In truth, we’re not doing anything differently, but I guess how we choose to pursue our interests, in this case, the business of music, is what separates us distinctly, from other digital music providers’, he continues.

With subscriber downloads far surpassing even critics expectations, Spinlet’s incursion into the Nigerian digital music industry is almost legendary.

The challenges before this young brand in an extremely competitive music market are enormous. Spinlet is not unaware. However, its greatest asset as the company has continually re-iterated, is not its international equity but its music subscribers across the world; individuals from every demographic who have been able to find and enjoy expression on the Spinlet platform.

In a country that is as passionate about music as it is about football, Spinlet has, in less than three months, gathered a massive following. Not only is the brand partnering with existing popular  platforms like Industry Nite to promote  upcoming and established artists across the country, it also partners with other  brands such as the Fela Anikulapo Kuti Foundation, Gospel Night Live, Samsung Nigeria and more.

Spinlet sponsored the collaboration between Ice Prince and Gyptian, and also made possible the performance of the likes of Naeto C, 2face Idibia and M.I at the SXSW in Austin Texas. Upcoming projects, we’re told, include a post-humous Dagrin album, as well as sponsored videos for promising acs like DammyKrane who has enjoyed huge support from Spinlet.

‘We’re using a universal platform to connect with our consumers one individual at a time: interacting with them on numerous entertainment platforms which they can easily and readily identify with. It’s been an amazing experience so far and the constructive criticism and insights that have developed over the past months have proved invaluable to us in further strengthening our brand’, says Mark Redguard, Chief Marketing Officer. Redguard says the company is passionate about supporting upcoming talents, as well as providing a platform to help labels and artistes increase revenue while reducing illegal music sharing.

Regardless of what skeptics may say, Spinlet is here for the long haul. Despite the present challenges; namely ensuring that consumers can utilize a hitch free digital music service 24/7, Spinlet has already carved a solid niche as the one -stop platform for Nigerian artists, new and upcoming, and a change maker driving the creation of an enabling environment where Nigerian   artists and their music can truly flourish.

Unlike most platforms that delve into other areas, Idiahi is emphatic that Spinlet’s focus at least for now, is music. ‘I get this question all the time, people are so concerned with the ‘destination’, we’re more interested in the journey. We’re providing great music, protecting the rights of Nigerian   artists, building and sustaining a healthier economy and driving positive change in the Nigerian entertainment industry. That has always been Spinlet’s biggest dream and for us, for now, it’s enough that we are living it.’

Such big aspirations coming from such a young brand is sweet music to subscribers ears. If the company remains true to its dreams, there’s no doubt, that Spinlet will definitely make us move with it.