The music catalog of the InterSpace Distribution, one of Nigeria’s largest digital distribution company, will be available to users of Africa-focused streaming service Mdundo following the signing of a licensing deal.

Mdundo said the deal will strengthen its offering to its 17 million active monthly users, and accelerate its growth across Africa. The music streaming service, which Mdundo says has achieved exponential growth in the Nigerian market, is available in a number of countries, including Kenya, Ghana and Tanzania. 

Last year, Mdundo signed partnerships with telcos across the continent in a bid to grow its earnings and user base, a move, it says, that has boosted its growth. Mdundo users can access music using USSD services on a bundled program (daily, weekly or monthly). The streaming service is also accessible through its website or app, which has more than 1 million downloads.

“Our focus is to provide a relevant service to the hundreds of millions of potential users in Africa that are getting online… We are extremely pleased to work with InterSpace Distribution within Nigeria towards our vision of providing Nigeria with an easy and legal solution to accessing music that fits the local consumers,” said Mdundo licensing lead Akin Olabode, in a statement today.

Its latest deal comes as InterSpace Distribution strengthens its presence in Nigeria, which has expanded across Africa by establishing a presence in South Africa, Ghana, and Tanzania. InterSpace Distribution is also behind some of Nigeria’s independent labels, including KOKOTA REPUBLIK, Dacraftmuzik and Node Music.

“We welcome Mdundo as a partner, and are excited for more fans across Africa to have greater access to some of Nigeria’s most exciting musical talent, as well as InterSpace Distribution’s unrivaled catalog of international artists,” said Eric Okechukwu, the CEO of InterSpace Distribution.

Across Africa there are more than 20 music streaming services, including Sweden’s Spotify, which is now in more than 40 African countries after expanding to an additional 38 last year. Nigeria-headquartered Boomplay and Songa by Kenya’s telco Safaricom are the other popular streaming services.