Mr Eazi Launches emPawaPublishing Mobile App
Mr Eazi (Oluwatosin Ajibade) is pushing further into music infrastructure with the launch of the emPawaPublishing mobile application, a new platform designed to give African artists and producers direct, real-time visibility into their publishing earnings and catalogue performance.
Released in late April 2026, the app allows emPawa-affiliated creators to track live earnings, monitor top-performing songs, access royalty breakdowns, and download statements directly from their phones. In an industry where royalty reporting is often delayed, opaque, and difficult to audit, the move signals a significant shift toward transparency and artist-side control.
For years, publishing administration across much of the music industry has largely operated behind closed systems. Artists typically wait months for quarterly or annual royalty reports, with limited insight into how revenue is generated across streaming, sync licensing, radio, or international markets. Resolving discrepancies can become a slow, technical process requiring audits and extensive back-and-forth communication.
Mr Eazi framed the app as a direct response to that longstanding problem. “One of the pillars I founded on is transparency to artists and producers, ensuring they not only receive their statements but can also audit them easily, and any discrepancies resolved swiftly,” he said while unveiling the platform. “This is why I’m happy about the Pub writer portal! E go reduce explanation.”
The app extends the broader vision behind emPawa Africa, the artist incubation and services company Mr Eazi launched in 2018. Initially introduced through the #emPawa100 initiative—which funded emerging African artists with grants, mentorship, and music video support—the company has since evolved into a wider ecosystem covering distribution, marketing, publishing administration, and label services.
Unlike traditional label structures, emPawa has consistently positioned ownership as a core principle, allowing artists to retain their masters while accessing global publishing support through partnerships with organizations like Kobalt Music Group. The platform has played a role in the growth of artists including Joeboy, King Promise, and Fave.
What makes the publishing app notable is its focus on infrastructure. At a time when Afrobeats and African music continue expanding globally through streaming and sync licensing, conversations around ownership, publishing rights, and fair monetization have become increasingly central. Real-time dashboards and auditable royalty systems could help artists make more informed decisions around promotion, touring, licensing, and market targeting.
The app’s mobile-first design also reflects the realities of the African market, where smartphone usage remains the dominant gateway to digital services. While the platform currently appears limited to emPawa-associated creators, its introduction could place pressure on other music companies and distributors to improve transparency standards across the continent.
As African music continues maturing into a globally valuable industry, Mr Eazi’s latest move positions him less as a long-term ecosystem builder, focused on creating systems that allow artists to see, understand, and ultimately control the value of their work.
