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The Kleek: Universal and Samsung’s new streaming music service for Africa
No, Africa, the music streaming services aren’t done with you yet. The latest offering to land on the continent has a squeeky name, but support from some serious heavy weights — none other than Samsung and Universal Music.
Announced at Samsung Africa Forum in Cape Town, South Africa, the Kleek is a pan-African music service targeted squarely at Africa’s millions of mobile users — particularly those touting a Samsung device. Featuring international and local music, the app is available for free download from Google Play in South Africa and is headed for users in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and Angola soon.
The deal sees Samsung Electronics Africa secured as Universal’s exclusive smartphone partner for the next two years, so the app is currently geared largely towards devices stamped with the South Korean giant’s logo. Through the app, which has been optimised for Samsung phones, users will be able to access a huge supply of everything from artist, celebrity and genre playlists, exclusive album previews, artist diaries and charts. But, as TechCentral points out, the Kleek is currently only available for a select few Samsung phones (like the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Pocket) and it’s not clear exactly when the roll out to other phones will begin.
“With the Kleek, we are not just delivering the best local and international music, we are providing all of Africa with a unique and bespoke user experience,” explained Randall Abrahams, Managing Director of Universal Music South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. “The service will also help us focus on developing future stars from across the continent,” Abrahams said.
The Kleek is the latest in a number of streaming music services to hit the continent in recent months. German Spotify clone Simfy Africa arrived in South Africa in August 2012, followed by Rara.com in October. Streaming music giant Deezer is also fighting for market share in Africa, where is it used by people in countries like Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and South Africa.
