Cinq Music Group partners with D’Banj’s C.R.E.A.M platform

Cinq Music Group, a GoDigital Music company, has formed a partnership with C.R.E.A.M, the talent discovery and artist development platform founded by Nigerian artist D’Banj.

The partnership aims to support emerging African artists in reaching global audiences. It also includes the addition of D’Banj’s music catalog to the Cinq ecosystem.

Both companies said the main goal is to build a pipeline for the next generation of African talent. They described the catalog acquisition as a milestone.
C.R.E.A.M, which stands for Creative, Reality, Entertainment, Arts, and Music, connects artists with audiences through talent discovery, content monetization, fan engagement, and career development. The platform launched in 2016 and has more than seven million subscribers in Nigeria.
The partnership centres on C.R.E.A.M’s talent competition, Best of The Streets (B.O.T.S.), which returns in October. The competition identifies emerging creatives from across Africa through fan voting, mentorship, live showcases, and artist development programmes.

Cinq Music will sign and develop 10 artists selected from the programme. It will provide them with global distribution, marketing support, funding, and long-term career development.

D’Banj, founder and chief executive of C.R.E.A.M, said the partnership creates a direct pathway for emerging artists to access global opportunities.
“C.R.E.A.M was founded to create opportunities for talented young people and connect African creatives to the audiences, resources, and platforms they need to succeed,” he said.

Fotemah Mba, head of A&R and African expansion at Cinq, said African music is influencing the global industry.
“What D’Banj has built with C.R.E.A.M is a grassroots engine that connects directly with independent talent,” Mba said. “At Cinq, our mission is to empower creators with data-driven infrastructure and true partnership.”

Sub-Saharan Africa is among the fastest-growing regions for recorded music. Revenues in the region grew 15.2 percent in 2025 to reach $120 million, according to the IFPI Global Music Report 2026. This placed it joint second-fastest growing region worldwide, behind Latin America.

The IFPI attributed the growth to increased licensed streaming, the global influence of African artists, and investment by record companies.
This is the second major deal involving a Nigerian music company.

In February 2024, Universal Music Group acquired a majority stake in Afrobeats label Mavin, founded by Don Jazzy. Warner Music Group completed the full acquisition of African distributor Africori in 2025.

C.R.E.A.M has also attracted investor interest. Afreximbank’s CANEX Creations signed a term sheet for an equity investment in the platform in June 2025.