Music stars who own streaming platforms

The traditional music business model is undergoing a radical transformation as artistes move from being mere content creators to becoming platform owners.

For years, musicians have voiced frustrations over the minimal royalties paid by global streaming giants, where millions of plays often result in small payouts.

To solve this, stars across Africa and the West are launching their own digital spaces to host music, sell merchandise, and interact with fans.

By controlling the technology, these artistes are setting their own rules and ensuring they own the relationship with their audience from the first click to the final stream.

In West Africa, Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie has moved into the ownership space through a partnership with Wavvi.

Launched in May 2025 in collaboration with Beatchain, Wavvi is a platform designed to help African artistes distribute their music while keeping a larger share of the profits.

It works by sending royalty payments directly to the artiste’s mobile money wallet, bypassing the banking delays typical of international services.

To support his peers, Sarkodie announced a partnership in 2025 to grant 250 upcoming Ghanaian artistes free access to the platform.

Diamond Platnumz is currently the leading example of an artiste-turned-tech-mogul in East Africa.

He launched the Wasafi App in 2020 as a digital hub for his WCB Wasafi label to host hits from stars like Zuchu and Lava Lava.

The app works by allowing fans to stream music and watch exclusive videos, with a heavy focus on the regional market.

Unlike Western apps that require credit cards, Diamond’s platform integrates with mobile money, making it easier for fans in Kenya and Tanzania to subscribe.

During the launch of his related WasafiBet project in December 2021, Diamond stated that these platforms are his way of 'giving back' by creating an ecosystem where African music and fans can thrive together without external interference.

Don Jazzy has been integrating technology into his music business since the very start of Mavin Records.

On May 7, 2012, he launched the 'Mavin League,' which was a social networking site designed to connect his fans globally.

Over the years, this has evolved into 'Mavin World,' a digital platform that serves as a direct link between the label and its audience.

It works as a private ecosystem where fans can access exclusive content and merchandise.

Don Jazzy has publicly noted that he sees his label not just as a music house, but as a 'power house of music in Africa,' and owning the digital interface is a key part of that vision.

American rapper Joyner Lucas co-founded Tully to solve the frustrations he faced as an independent artiste.

Launched in 2015 alongside his manager Dhruv Joshi, Tully helps musicians write, record, and distribute their work from a single mobile app.

It works as a digital office where an artiste can write lyrics while listening to beats, record demos, and manage their music contracts.

Joyner Lucas has stated he uses the app daily for his own projects and has frequently shared videos showing how it streamlines his creative process.

In 2020, Sony Music invested in the platform, validating his goal of giving 'power and tools' back to the creators.

Jay-Z provided the global blueprint for artiste ownership when he bought the tech company Aspiro and turned it into Tidal in 2015.

Tidal works by offering high-fidelity audio and paying significantly higher royalty rates (often four times more) than its rivals.

Jay-Z has been a vocal critic of the low payouts from free streaming tiers, arguing that music should be valued more highly.

In 2021, he sold a majority stake in the company to Jack Dorsey’s Block Inc. for approximately USD302 million.

After acquiring Death Row Records in February 2022, Snoop Dogg took the drastic step of pulling the label's legendary catalogue off all mainstream streaming sites.

He explained his decision on the Drink Champs podcast, stating that those platforms 'don't pay' and that he wanted to create a standalone service similar to Netflix or Hulu for his label.

The plan was to launch a dedicated Death Row app where fans could access the music as digital collectibles.

While he eventually returned the music to mainstream apps in 2023 to maintain global visibility, he continues to use the Death Row digital space for exclusive content and fan engagement.

Veteran rocker Neil Young launched the Neil Young Archives (NYA) website as a high-resolution streaming service dedicated to his entire life's work.

The project has been a long time in the making, but it became a primary digital destination for his fans after he famously removed his music from Spotify in 2022 over policy disagreements.

The platform works on a subscription model, offering 'Xstream' audio quality that is far superior to standard MP3 files.

Young has frequently spoken about the 'poor quality' of mainstream streaming, using his own platform to prove that fans are willing to pay for better sound and a more curated experience.

Kanye West attempted to bypass the entire streaming industry when he released his 2022 album, Donda 2, exclusively on his own device called the Stem Player.

The device, which cost approximately Sh25,000, was the only legal way to hear the project.

It works by allowing users to 'remix' the tracks as they listen, isolating the drums or vocals using touch-sensitive sliders.

Kanye stated on social media that he would no longer be 'controlled' by companies like Apple or Amazon, who take a large cut of his earnings.

Kanye later returned to releasing music on mainstream apps.