Rapper AKA launched an official app this week which promises to offer exclusive content and a hotline to the star but the muso believes the R90 + monthly costs for the app will not deter fans of his music.
The Fela in Versace hitmaker teamed up with Vodacom to launch the AKA World Beam mobile app this week at a fancy event in Johannesburg.
The app‚ which is only available to Vodacom customers will give Supa Mega fans a chance to stream his entire music catalogue‚ catch up on the latest news‚ follow his crew and even ask their idol anything in a cleverly named section called Ask Kiernan Anything (AKA).
However‚ the app has raised eyebrows after a link to the service notified potential subscribers that they would need to pay a subscription cost of R3 a day after a seven-day free trial.
That means on a normal month of 30 days (after the trial has expired) a customer would expect to spend R90 for the app. Streaming services are also charged at normal data rates. According to international studies‚ streaming can rack up anything from 10.8MB to 43.2MB of data per hour.
Assuming you're a casual listener using the app could add up to well over R100 a month on average.
But AKA is not concerned about that despite high data prices in SA‚ telling TshisaLIVE that fans have always bought his music.
"People buy my albums‚ people come to my shows. That costs money. People support me‚ so..." he said.
The star said he felt the time was right to finally enter the app world.
"Now it is a digital world we live in. If you look at the success of a Kim Kardashian app or other personalities who have apps‚ musicians that have apps‚ it is something that I needed to do. If you look at AKA and Vodacom coming together‚ those are two iconic South African brands‚ African brands. The timing is perfect. When you have an app like this‚ the possibilities are endless‚ especially in music."
The app was launched through AKA's company Dream Digital a spinoff of his former company Beam Group‚ which focuses on monetising his content‚ both musical and behind the scenes content.
AKA officially announced this week that he and Beam Group had gone their separate ways and he told TshisaLIVE that he had gone back into a partnership with his former management‚ Vth Season.
"Me and Vth Season are working together again. We have definitely reconciled but it's nothing like the deal we had before. I am now in a stronger position. I am a partner now. Nobody can sign me. Nobody can manage me anymore. That is where I am in my life."
AKA explains why R90 a month for an app is not 'too steep' for his fans
Image: Oupa Bopape/Gallo Images
Rapper AKA launched an official app this week which promises to offer exclusive content and a hotline to the star but the muso believes the R90 + monthly costs for the app will not deter fans of his music.
The Fela in Versace hitmaker teamed up with Vodacom to launch the AKA World Beam mobile app this week at a fancy event in Johannesburg.
The app‚ which is only available to Vodacom customers will give Supa Mega fans a chance to stream his entire music catalogue‚ catch up on the latest news‚ follow his crew and even ask their idol anything in a cleverly named section called Ask Kiernan Anything (AKA).
However‚ the app has raised eyebrows after a link to the service notified potential subscribers that they would need to pay a subscription cost of R3 a day after a seven-day free trial.
That means on a normal month of 30 days (after the trial has expired) a customer would expect to spend R90 for the app. Streaming services are also charged at normal data rates. According to international studies‚ streaming can rack up anything from 10.8MB to 43.2MB of data per hour.
Assuming you're a casual listener using the app could add up to well over R100 a month on average.
But AKA is not concerned about that despite high data prices in SA‚ telling TshisaLIVE that fans have always bought his music.
"People buy my albums‚ people come to my shows. That costs money. People support me‚ so..." he said.
The star said he felt the time was right to finally enter the app world.
"Now it is a digital world we live in. If you look at the success of a Kim Kardashian app or other personalities who have apps‚ musicians that have apps‚ it is something that I needed to do. If you look at AKA and Vodacom coming together‚ those are two iconic South African brands‚ African brands. The timing is perfect. When you have an app like this‚ the possibilities are endless‚ especially in music."
The app was launched through AKA's company Dream Digital a spinoff of his former company Beam Group‚ which focuses on monetising his content‚ both musical and behind the scenes content.
AKA officially announced this week that he and Beam Group had gone their separate ways and he told TshisaLIVE that he had gone back into a partnership with his former management‚ Vth Season.
"Me and Vth Season are working together again. We have definitely reconciled but it's nothing like the deal we had before. I am now in a stronger position. I am a partner now. Nobody can sign me. Nobody can manage me anymore. That is where I am in my life."
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