Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Audiomack, David Ponte, has expressed optimism about the future of Rwandan music in the global digital market, saying the country possesses the talent, creativity and growing infrastructure needed to compete on both continental and international stages.

Ponte visited Kigali on May 26 where Audiomack in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Arts hosted discussions with musicians and industry stakeholders aimed at understanding the challenges facing Rwanda’s music sector while exploring opportunities for growth and monetization.

"We’ve had our eye on Kigali artists and Rwandan artists for a long time,” Ponte said. "The purpose of our visit was to do something for the artist community here.

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"We came, held a panel discussion, and wanted to talk not only about Audiomack but also about the music industry at large and the challenges artists face here in Rwanda.”

The visit formed part of Audiomack’s East African engagement tour, with Rwanda becoming the second country the company has visited after Tanzania. The move reflects growing international interest in Rwanda’s music industry, which many believe is entering a new phase of digital expansion.

Ponte said Audiomack aims to help local artists overcome barriers related to visibility, streaming growth, distribution and access to global audiences.

"There’s a lot of talent here. We want to highlight and spotlight that talent not only locally and regionally, but also around the world,” he said. "We’ve done this successfully in other countries where we laid foundations for growth.”

According to Ponte, Rwanda’s music ecosystem is still developing, but the country’s originality and competitiveness are already evident.

"The talent is here and the infrastructure is being built,” he noted. "We wanted to lay the foundation with this event by introducing people to Audiomack, its features and opportunities, while continuing to work with industry players here to elevate the culture and the sound to music fans globally.”

He dismissed the notion that Africa’s digital music success is dominated solely by West African countries, arguing that East African artists are increasingly making a strong impact on streaming platforms.

As an example, Ponte cited Tanzanian singer Marioo, who recently surpassed 100 million streams on Audiomack.

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"Every artist has their own milestone,” he said. "Whether it’s 10,000 streams, one million, 10 million or 100 million, each milestone deserves to be celebrated because it represents growth.”

"I don’t think it will take long before artists from Rwanda begin achieving those seven-digit milestones and celebrating their own success stories.”

Ponte praised the distinctiveness of Rwandan music, saying the country’s relatively small population does not limit its creative influence.

"There’s a very unique sound and flavour here,” he said. "Even though Rwanda is a relatively small country, the talent punches above its weight.”

According to him, there is no reason Rwanda cannot produce continental superstars capable of competing with top African acts such as Asake, Wizkid and Tyla.

"There’s no reason why Rwanda can’t have artists competing at that level,” he said. "It takes development, patience and a community working together to push the artists they believe in.”

Among the Rwandan artistes currently attracting Audiomack’s attention, Ponte mentioned Bruce The 1st, Ariel Wayz, Bruce Melodie, Kid From Kigali and King James.

He specifically highlighted Holy by Bruce The 1st featuring Ariel Wayz as one of the songs he particularly enjoys.

"She’s a very talented singer and an emerging artist we are closely watching,” he said about Ariel Wayz.

Ponte also revealed that Rwandan musicians are increasingly appearing alongside major African stars on Audiomack’s influential "Verified Afro Sounds” playlist, which showcases top African music globally.

He pointed to Kivumbi King as one of the Rwandan artists currently performing strongly on the playlist alongside artists from Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa.

Brave Ngabo Oliver, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and Arts, welcomed Audiomack’s presence in Rwanda, describing it as a sign of growing international confidence in the country’s creative industry.

"We’re thrilled by their presence in Rwanda. It’s a major platform, and Rwanda is only the second East African country they have visited after Tanzania. That means a lot,” he said.

Ngabo noted that Audiomack’s interest follows increasing streaming numbers and rising engagement from both Rwandan artists and listeners.

"They have seen the numbers growing and the platform being actively embraced by both musicians and audiences,” he added.

According to Ngabo, the visit also highlights Rwanda’s potential as an emerging market for investors, distributors and artist managers.

"We encourage artists to take advantage of these opportunities — to connect, network and expand their reach to wider audiences,” he said.

He added that Rwanda has already established legal and policy frameworks, including intellectual property laws, aimed at attracting investment into the creative industry.

"As a Ministry, we’ve done our part,” he noted.

Ngabo revealed that more than 7,000 artists have already been registered in Rwanda, with the exercise still ongoing as part of efforts to prepare musicians for future opportunities in the industry.

Artists who attended the discussions described the engagement as an important step toward improving communication, visibility and monetization opportunities for local musicians.

Hip-hop artist Angel Mutoni said the visit allowed Rwandan artists to interact directly with decision-makers from major streaming platforms instead of raising concerns remotely.

"They understand what we want, and that’s why they’re here,” she said. "It’s exciting and shows the promise of Kigali’s vibrant music scene.”

She described the initiative as positive progress for the industry, saying long-standing requests from musicians are finally beginning to translate into practical action.

Globally, Audiomack has grown into one of the world’s leading music streaming platforms, with more than 50 million monthly active users and 12 million daily active users. The platform has become a major hub for independent and emerging artists, with more than 500,000 creators uploading music directly.

Africa remains one of Audiomack’s strongest markets, with Nigeria alone reportedly generating 15.3 million monthly active users and billions of Afrobeats streams between 2020 and 2024.

The platform has also become known for supporting artist monetization through streaming payouts and direct fan support systems. Independent musicians can qualify for monetization after reaching at least 100 followers and 50,000 plays within six months.

Through Audiomack’s "Supporters” feature, artists can retain up to 85 percent of earnings generated from direct fan contributions.

Currently, on Audiomack’s Weekly 100: Kigali chart, Come On by Mike Kayihura leads the rankings, followed by Détail by Bruce Melodie, Ndi Ready by Ish Kevin, Ayayaah by Element Eleeeh and My Mind by Chriss Eazy featuring Utah Nice.