Replete goes into partnership with Kobalt — good news for Nigerian songwriters

The days of earning little or nothing for songwriting are fast fading, and there’s now a place for Nigerians at the table.

Indigenous music publishing firm, Replete, has announced a worldwide administration deal with Kobalt Music Group.

Kobalt is a technology-driven music services company that gives songwriters and bands complete ownership of their work and a greater share of income than has traditionally been the case in the industry.

“We are truly excited to join the Kobalt family, said Amy Oraefo, CEO of Lagos-based Replete Music Publishing.

“This deal sees the world’s largest independent publishing company partnering with a boutique publishing company whose focus is to promote songwriters of the African diaspora.

“We are committed to ensuring that our music creators’ best interests remain at the forefront. Our partnership with Kobalt will help take our creators’ content to the ears of the world so all can experience the vast amount of talent throughout the continent of Africa.”

Speaking of the partnership, Mulika Sannie, VP of business affairs at the Kobalt London office, said: “There is so much talent and great music that comes out of Nigeria, so this is a fantastic opportunity to support Replete in ensuring its songwriters maximise their earnings not just domestically, but internationally also.”

In the same vein, Al McLean, Senior VP of Creative at Kobalt Atlanta office, said: “Africa is one of the hottest emerging markets in the world of music and partnering with such a visionary company like Replete is the future.”

Some of the artistes on Kobalt’s roster are Lorde, Sir Paul McCartney, 50 Cent, Ed Sheeran, Elvis Presley, Gwen Stefani, Calvin Harris, Lauryn Hill and Enrique Iglesias.

Nigerian singer Niniola Apata recently signed a publishing deal with Kobalt. The deal will see her engaged as a songwriter.