NAIROBI, Kenya — While algorithms on mainstream streaming platforms push the same dozen Afrobeats stars to listeners worldwide, a new digital platform is seeking something different: the raw, unfiltered sounds of Africa's most overlooked musical communities.
Mziki Africa (mziki.africa), which soft-launched this week, bills itself as a "digital living archive" dedicated to music recorded outside commercial studios—in village squares, township homes, community centers, and makeshift studios across all 54 African nations.
"We're tired of hearing that African music begins and ends with what's trending on TikTok or Spotify's Afrobeats playlist," said founder Naledi Okore during an exclusive interview with Preach.Africa. "There are grandmothers in Mali who play instruments that don't have names in English. There are teenagers in Kampala creating entirely new genres in their bedrooms. Their music deserves to be heard."
The platform emerges as streaming giants face increasing criticism for homogenizing African music. A 2023 University of Lagos study found that 78% of "African music" playlists on major platforms feature artists from just three countries: Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana. Entire regions—particularly Central and Northern Africa—remain virtually absent.
Mziki Africa operates differently. Instead of algorithms, it employs a network of 200+ regional curators—musicians, ethnomusicologists, and cultural activists—who travel to record artists in their communities. Each recording includes extensive metadata: the artist's story, instrument origins, cultural context, and even the GPS coordinates of where the music was captured.
"We're building something more ambitious than a streaming service," explained CTO Kwame Asante. "We're creating a searchable, mappable database of African musical DNA. Imagine being able to filter music not just by genre, but by ethnic group, historical period, or even specific ceremonial context."
The platform has already attracted attention from cultural institutions worldwide. The Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage has entered into a partnership to archive select recordings, while UNESCO has expressed interest in designating the platform as a "digital intangible cultural heritage" project.
However, challenges remain. Internet access across much of rural Africa remains spotty, making uploads difficult. There are also complex questions about intellectual property and fair compensation for artists who have never before participated in the digital economy.
"We're implementing a blockchain-based royalty system that allows for micro-payments and tracks usage across borders," said Asante. "But more importantly, we're ensuring artists retain ownership. They can remove their work at any time, and they decide what gets shared."
Early access is being offered exclusively to Preach.Africa readers this week, with a full public launch scheduled for April. The platform will operate on a "pay-what-you-can" model for listeners, with 70% of revenue directed back to artists and their communities.
"This could change how the world hears Africa," said Okore. "Not through the lens of what sells globally, but through the authentic voices of the continent itself. The algorithm won't decide what's popular—the communities will."