Category: Artist Development Programs
Providing resources and information about programs that support the development and growth of emerging music artists.
Spotify Introduces Custom Playlist Transitions for Premium Users
Spotify is rolling out a game-changing feature that allows Premium subscribers to add custom transitions between tracks in their playlists. The new tool, currently in beta, offers users the flexibility to either auto-generate transitions or manually create them using preset options, such as fade, rise, and blend. This marks a significant step in Spotify’s ongoing…
Nyashinski signs landmark deal with Sony Music Entertainment, marking a new dawn for East African Music
In a move that signals a seismic shift for East African music on the global stage, Nyashinski, one of Kenya’s most enduring and influential artists, has signed a groundbreaking recording deal with Sony Music. The partnership inaugurates a new chapter not only for the artist but also for the region’s burgeoning cultural export, positioning East…
Tems’ Leading Vibe Initiative Launches First-Ever In-Person Pan-African Music Program for Women in Lagos
Two-time Grammy Award-winning singer Temilade Openiyi, better known as Tems, is moving through 2025 with the quiet confidence of an artist who knows she’s making history in real time. Over the past month, she has been steadily expanding her footprint — not only as a performer but as a cultural architect. From launching the first…
5 Hot Kenyan Tracks You Should Have Heard By Now
Kenya’s music scene continues to push creative boundaries. This week’s standout releases blend introspection, swagger, and dance-floor-ready beats—from Bien’s viral confidence anthem to Nadia Mukami’s heartfelt reflection on motherhood, Scar Mkadinali bringing street heat, with Willy Paul, and Bensoul and Kethan adding romantic and summer vibes respectively. Each track offers something unique, capturing the mood…
Fuse ODG ‘Spirit of New Africa’ Sparks a Cultural Rebirth Through Sound, Soul & Storytelling
Fuse ODG returns with Spirit of New Africa not as a nostalgia act, but as a cultural architect reclaiming space and sound. The Ghanaian-British artist isn’t simply releasing an album; he’s asserting a framework. One that honors highlife’s roots, engages Afrobeats’ global pulse, and sharpens it all with the grit of hip-hop and the weight…
Reinventing Afrobeats: The Quiet Brilliance of Odeal, Gimba, and Melvitto
The year of 2024 marked another sonic explosion in Nigeria’s music scene, as new names joined the growing constellation of Afrobeat stars. Yet beyond the noise and hits, a subtler movement is unfolding—one that challenges what Afrobeats is, and more importantly, what it can become. The story of Afrobeats is one of rebellion, rhythm, and…
From Finsbury Park to the Future: How Afrobeats Reigned Supreme at Wireless Festival 2025
Wireless Festival 2025 was celebration of music— and a confirmation of cultural power.And no genre claimed that power more convincingly than Afrobeats. Held over three electrifying days at London’s Finsbury Park (July 11–13), Wireless marked its 20th anniversary with a stacked lineup and global eyes watching. But while international giants like Travis Scott, Cardi B,…
Tejiri Is the Industry’s Best-Kept Secret and the Blueprint for the Next Generation of Creatives
In our latest Custodian Conversation, we sit with a quietly brilliant mind shaping the contours of today’s most resonant sounds—Tejiri Akpoghene: Grammy-winning producer, songwriter, and creative architect behind culture-shifting records like “Wait For U” by Future, Tems, and Drake. Tejiri’s story isn’t the usual linear climb—it’s textured. Woven from the rhythm of his Lagos upbringing,…
Across the Algorithm: AI’s Metamorphosis of Music in 2025
In 2025, artificial intelligence no longer shadows creativity—it’s rewriting the score. Fromcomposition to performance, AI technologies are reshaping the music industry’s landscape,raising questions about authenticity, equity, and artistic evolution. Section 1: The AI Creative Axis — Tools that Compose, Assist, and Replace AI composers like Suno, AIVA, and Lemonaide now craft chord progressions, full arrangements,and…
The Discipline of Silence: Jay-Z, Reputation & the Billionaire Blueprint
Where the modern celebrity economy thrives on overexposure, reaction cycles, and real-time rebuttals, Jay-Z has built a blueprint around intentional silence. In a hyper-digital world, silence is not absence. It’s strategy. No tweets. No think pieces. No impulse interviews. Just power moves, calculated exits, and a watchful gaze. “Sometimes the most powerful move is to…