Zambian Artists Accuse Boomplay of Two-Year Payment Silence

“Pay Us Our Royalties!”: Zambian Artists Accuse Boomplay of Two-Year Payment Silence

1. Introduction: From Success to Frustration

In 2025, a growing chorus of Zambian musicians—including hit-maker Jemax—are publicly accusing Boomplay, Africa’s leading music streaming platform, of failing to pay royalties for more than two years. For Jemax, whose debut album The Boogeyman amassed over 25–33 million streams on Boomplay, the issue is deeply personal and economic (Zambia Monitor | Zambia Monitor).

Despite chart-topping success, artists report no payouts, no statements, and growing distrust. They argue that Boomplay’s mission of uplifting African music is compromised when creators aren’t fairly compensated.

2. Jemax & The Boogeyman: A Case Study

Within just 12 hours of release, The Boogeyman hit 1 million streams on Boomplay (Zambia Monitor | Zambia Monitor).

Weeks later, the total reached 25 million—rising to 33.6 million shortly after (Zambia Monitor | Zambia Monitor).

Despite these numbers, Jemax says he has received zero royalties. He further criticized record labels in Zambia, saying many are unreliable and fail to honor contracts—despite promising the world to artists (Zambia: News Diggers!).

🌍 3. A Wider African Pattern: Royalty Disputes with Boomplay

Zambian artists are not alone:

In Ghana, gospel singer Celestine Donkor and others have not been paid for over a year, according to her manager, who demanded payment publicly (Reddit, MyJoyOnline).

Ghanaian duo Lali x Lola appealed to their government over non-payment since April 2023, eventually removing their music from Boomplay in protest (MyJoyOnline).

Music In Africa and CMU report that Sony Music withdrew its entire catalogue from Boomplay due to years of unpaid royalties. Other major labels and distributors are reportedly negotiating or boycotting the platform (Music In Africa).

4. Why Are Platforms like Boomplay Falling Short?

Key challenges identified:

Indirect Royalty Channels
Boomplay routes payments through distributors, not directly to artists. Breakdowns occur when distributors fail to relay royalties (Nkonkonsa).
Lapsed Licensing Agreements
Disputes over license renewals and revenue-sharing agreements are common. Some agreements reportedly expired months ago without replacement (Nkonkonsa).
Transparency Issues
Artists and distributors complain that Boomplay often fails to provide accurate reporting or statements. In Ghana, managers noted their distributors received no reliable accounting or explanations (MyJoyOnline).
Financial Viability and Cost Cuts
Reports suggest Boomplay has been cost-cutting across Africa amid profitability pressures from its freemium-heavy model and low paid subscription conversion rates (Music In Africa).

🧑‍🎤 5. Voices from Zambia: Stories & Concerns

Jemax: Celebrated his album's massive success but called out labels and platforms for failing to deliver contractual commitments—despite his millions of streams (Zambia: News Diggers!).

KB Killa Beats: A respected producer, he warned against Boomplay’s unstable model. After distribution partner TuneCore severed ties, he urged artists to rely on reliable platforms like Spotify and Apple Music instead (zambezijuice.com).

Industry Advocates: Zambian music industry leaders like B Flow have emphasized the need for financial literacy and formal structures among artists, pointing out how unpaid awards and royalties can stem from infrastructural gaps (zambianmusicblog.co).

6. Historical Context: Zambia’s Music Industry Challenges

Understanding current royalty issues requires a look at Zambia's music ecosystem:

The music industry collapsed in the 1980s–90s due to AIDS losses, piracy, and fading national support. Radio quotas mandating 95% local music were scrapped in the 1990s, leaving the industry fragile (Reddit, Reddit, Reddit).

The 2000s revival lacked deep infrastructure—study, legacy, mentorship, and robust labels were largely absent.

As a result, modern Zambian artists often handle production, distribution, marketing and finance solo—heightening the impact of any disruptions in digital income streams (Reddit, Reddit).

🎯 7. Consequences & Impacts

Issue	Impact
Financial hardship for artists	Creators don’t earn for years—even after millions of streams.
Trust erosion	Artists lose faith in Boomplay; some remove music entirely.
Stifled industry reputations	International labels (e.g. Sony) withdraw catalogues, reducing local exposure.
Artist migration to other platforms	Shift towards Spotify, Audiomack, or creating local platforms like Zambia’s own MusicZed (Reddit, CMU \| the music business explained, lusakastar.com).

8. What Needs to Change: Recommendations

Transparent Royalty Reporting
Boomplay must publish detailed statements—including raw stream counts, distributor payouts, and artist-level breakdowns.
Direct Artist Payout Mechanisms
Create mechanisms for artists to receive payments directly, minimizing delays and distributor misappropriation.
Audits or Third-Party Oversight
Independent audits of Boomplay’s royalty accounting can restore credibility.
Government / Regulatory Involvement
Following Ghana’s example, Zambia’s communication or digital economy regulators could intervene to protect creatives. Boomplay should be held to contractual standards and fair music-tech conduct.
Support Local Distribution Infrastructure
Zambian artists need stronger distribution channels—whether local DSPs, blockchain royalty models, or alternatives like MusicZed—to diversify reliance.
Artist Education & Financial Literacy
Capacity-building (like ZAM workshops encouraged by B Flow) should include contract negotiation, revenue tracking, and banking setup.

9. Conclusion: A Turning Point for Artists & Platforms

Zambian music is on an upward trajectory—artists are pushing enormous streams, domestic and diaspora audiences are listening, and global eyes are watching. But this moment is marred by a serious royalty crisis: multi‑million‑stream albums without payments represent a betrayed promise.

Unless Boomplay takes urgent remedial steps—transparency, consistent payouts, and fair terms—artists like Jemax will continue demanding accountability. Meanwhile, trusted international platforms are gaining favor, and artists may turn away from Boomplay entirely.

This situation is more than a payment dispute—it’s an inflection point for African digital music. How Boomplay responds could shape the future economic model for millions of creatives across the continent.

References and Further Reading:

Jemax's streaming and commentary on record label issues (CMU | the music business explained, MyJoyOnline, Nkonkonsa, zambianmusicblog.co)

Sony’s catalogue withdrawal amid payment dispute (Music In Africa)

Ghanaian artists Celestine Donkor & Lali x Lola’s appeals over unpaid royalties (MyJoyOnline)

Producer KB Killa Beats’s concerns over Boomplay’s model (Nkonkonsa)

B Flow highlights importance of artist financial structures (zambianmusicblog.co)

Historical context on Zambia's music infrastructure challenges (Reddit, Reddit, Reddit)