Melissa Kariuki, an alumnus of Google, has launched Whip, a music services marketplace to empower African musicians.
The platform, which particularly aims to empower underserved and budding musicians from Africa, was launched in Nigeria.
Founded by Kariuki alongside Kelvin Kyendwa, Whip’s mission, according to the duo in a statement, is to empower the next generation of African musicians to achieve their highest potential through access to affordable services that drive growth of music careers.
The startup was recently admitted into the inaugural class of the Google for Startups accelerator Africa: Women founders’ programme, underscoring the potential strategic role Whip could play in driving the growth of the music industry in Africa.
Through its digital marketplace, music artists across Africa can access an array of services they need to grow, from song writing to production to promotion.
Specifically, services available on Whip include: play listing, blog features, distribution, video production, DJ set features, radio play, TV play, social media promotions.
With increased proliferation of music due to digital production and streaming in recent times, it is becoming increasingly harder for artists to standout and be heard, and therefore, require the best music marketing services to stand out strategically in the industry. The Whip Services Marketplace comes in handy for budding artists as they can now access a wide array of music services from a range of providers to strategically grow their music.
Speaking on what inspired Whip, Kariuki explained, “There’s often a great underestimation of how much artists need to invest in marketing their music.
“Stories like those of artists being signed after going viral on TikTok make it seem like becoming successful is effortless and serendipitous. However, those are exceptions.
“A recent report by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry shows that it costs record labels about $500K to $2M to break a new artist. While most artists cannot match that, it is important for them to invest what they can. Whip Services exist to make it easier for them to find affordable options that meet their budget, which they can trust.”
Kariuki further stated that her passion for the arts is what led her to start Whip, and emphasized that Whip’s mission is simply to help artists get their music heard.
“A music career can be a thankless and tiring pursuit but many do it out of love for their craft and sheer passion. All we want to do is make their journey a little easier,” Kariuki added.
Prior to launching Whip, Kariuki was a Product Marketing Manager at Google South Africa.
