Teddy Afro has joined Samrawit Fikru’s streaming platform Sewasew and will be releasing his upcoming album exclusively on the Sewasew app.
While the album release date is yet to be announced, this marks a significant milestone for Ethiopia’s streaming sector.
Sewasew, an audio streaming and media service platform, is Samrawit’s venture into the creative economy.
“Thank you Dr. Artist Tewodros Kassahun for supporting our effort to build the creative economy for the generation to come,” Samrawit, founder and CEO of RIDE, wrote on Twitter.
Teddy, who is considered one of the most significant Ethiopian artists of his generation, joins a long list of artists who have already joined Sewasew, such as Henok Abebe, Zerubabel Molla, Tewodros Mosisa, Rahel Getu, Tadele Gemechu, and Kamuzu Kasa.
Since its release in October 2022, the Sewasew app has on boarded over 70 artists and has gained around 60,000 users.
The app is available on iOS and Android. Developed in-house, Sewasew is owned by 2f-Capital Plc, a subsidiary of Hybrid Designs, the tech firm behind one of the biggest ride-hailing platforms in Ethiopia, RIDE.
Sewasew allows users to stream, purchase, and download Ethiopian music. Further, intending to bring fans closer to artists, the app enables users to create accounts, follow artists, and see what they are listening to—a feature similar to that of Spotify, the global music streaming giant.
Users can access Sewasew for free. However, they will not be able to download songs and will be forced to see ads. But in the premium version, they are given unlimited, offline, and ad-free access.
The company charges 21 birr for a weekly subscription, 90 birr for a monthly subscription, and 990 birr for a yearly subscription. Users can use Telebirr and Enat Bank to settle subscription fees. Users abroad will also be able to make payments using international payment gateways such as PayPal.
Sewasew is now in the process of onboarding around 70 artists and has already bought 35 albums. Currently, the platform is signing an exclusive deal with the artists, making the albums available only on the platform for the next two or three years.
Samrawit is well-known for disrupting the transport sector in Addis Ababa with RIDE. Today, an estimated 30,000–40,000 drivers work for various ride-hailing platforms, and ride-hailing has become the default mode of commercial non-public transport in the capital.
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