The popular online music platform, Mdundo, has experienced a 14.3 percent decline in the number of Kenyan users actively streaming or downloading music in March 2023. The figure now stands at three million, down from 3.5 million users recorded in December the previous year.
While Mdundo has not pinpointed a specific reason for the decline, CEO Martin Nielsen suggests that the surge in December could have been driven by the holiday season when people had more free time to engage with entertainment content on their phones.
Increased competition from rival platforms like YouTube, Boomplay, and Spotify may also have contributed to the downward trend.
Despite the current setback, Mdundo remains optimistic about its future prospects. With a subscriber base of 24.5 million monthly active users, the platform aims to reach 50 million users by 2025, supported by strategic partnerships with telcos such as Airtel, MTN, and Vodacom.
Mdundo, founded in Kenya in 2012, has expanded its operations to Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, and South Africa. These markets collectively account for 70 percent of its monthly users, with the remaining users spread across secondary focus markets.
The platform boasts over 140,000 registered artists, with 86,000 of them being Kenyan, showcasing the significant local presence on the platform. In the six months leading up to December, Mdundo paid approximately Sh24 million to Kenyan content rights owners, representing 40 percent of all payouts made.
Factors contributing to the platform’s previous growth included increased smartphone usage, internet penetration, and collaborations with telecommunications companies. Mdundo remains committed to overcoming challenges and sustaining its position as a leading music streaming platform in the region.
