MTN unveils a revamped and new-look online music platform

MTN has reaffirmed its commitment to become a leading player in the digital and music streaming arena when it unveiled its revamped online music platform, MTN Music+, which offers first to market functionalities.

Says Maxwell Nonge, Chief Digital Officer: MTN SA: "The revamped Music+ strengthens our focus on developing local content and contributing meaningfully to the development of the music industry in South Africa. At the heart of our endeavours into the music space is the firm belief that we need to partner with artists and empower them to take control over the success of their brand.

The revised functionality of Music+ is the first proposition of its kind in South Africa where digital music and data are bundled for the user's convenience and ease of use. This means that if a customer has an active bundle, any activity that they perform on Music+ will be zero-rated."

The streaming pricing will be tiered by daily, weekly and monthly subscription fees, and downloading prices for subscribers will be discounted.

With the revised Music+, customers with an internet capable device and a balance of data bundles can stream content online and offline via the mobile app, mobile portal, web portal and mobile app interfaces on the 2G, 3G and LTE network.Music+ has a number of new functionalities, and these include the following:

* A music library with over 670 000 tracks, 40% local and 60% international;* Music downloads with innovative music bundle download packages;* Pricing will include data costs; and* Subscribers will be levied discounted downloading costs.

Says Maxwell Nonge, Chief Digital Officer: MTN SA: "We are excited to offer our subscribers an improved version of our online musical proposition. This is part of our strategy of providing exciting value added services to our customers and cementing our foothold in the digital space. As a company that always strives to stay ahead of the curve, we believe that this revamped proposition mirrors the trends in the music space and resonates with our customer's demands.

"We believe that the revised offering will also help to combat piracy which is the nemesis of the music industry, and will further bolster the live music market in South Africa."

According to research, in 2014 the global digital music revenues had overtaken physical music revenues. Downloads and subscriptions accounted for 75% of this revenue. In South Africa digital music is experiencing high growth as well, driven mainly by local artists. Research by PwC and GMR has found that physical music sales have declined by 17%, while digital music sales are increasing by 9%.

"As MTN, we want to be at the forefront of this revolution and leverage our infrastructure to ensure that our customers and the industry benefit from this changing eco-system," Nonge concludes.