Entertainment Week Africa 2025 (EWA 2025) today unveils two first-of-their-kind initiatives designed to fast-track African music creators into the global industry
Lagos, Nigeria — Entertainment Week Africa 2025 (EWA 2025) has announced the launch of two groundbreaking initiatives; the EWA SoundLab and the inaugural EWA Music Market, designed to bridge Africa’s creative talent with the global music industry. In Lagos, from November 13–20, 2025, leading artists, producers, songwriters and engineers will collaborate on a cross-continental recording project and negotiate partnerships that promise to reshape the future of African music.
At the heart of EWA SoundLab is a week-long creative residency where Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum producers and writers — including Pheelz, Andre Vibez, Trill Xoe, Druminem, Zichy, Denny, Salima Chica, Sunkey Daniel, Raool, Firefly, and Saurabh Lakonde — will co-write and co-produce over 50 song demos. The sessions culminate in an exclusive live listening event with focus group testing, industry showcases, and placement opportunities. The residency will produce the EWA/SoundLab Music Album, featuring established and emerging artists, for global release.
Concurrently, the EWA Music Market debuts as Africa’s first curated deal-making arena for music rights holders and global partners. This “relationship-first” marketplace facilitates one-on-one meetings, live showcases and structured negotiations with labels, publishers, distributors, sync agencies and investors – all within EWA’s dedicated industry hub. Together, SoundLab and Music Market will “close the gap” by expanding access and creating fairer opportunities for emerging African music talent on global platforms.
“African music is not just breaking through, it’s setting the pace,” said Dare Art Alade, Co-Founder & Executive Director of Livespot360. “With SoundLab and the Music Market, EWA is creating a catalyst for that shift: intentional collaboration, creative excellence and equitable access to global infrastructure. For too long, the world has been inspired by African sound without investing in the ecosystem behind it. We’re moving beyond appreciation to active investment in the people and processes driving this global sound.”
About Entertainment Week Africa (EWA)
Entertainment Week Africa (EWA) is the continent’s leading platform celebrating the business and culture of entertainment. With over 53,000+ attendees, 240+ speakers, and N313M digital reach, EWA is one of Africa’s largest multi-sector creative summits, bringing together visionaries across film, music, tech, fashion, and culture for 5 days of immersive programming, live performances, and transformative dialogue. Through its flagship events, including the SoundLab, Music Market, and other creative residencies, EWA connects Africa’s creative innovators with global industry players across music, film, fashion, and technology.
