Lesotho’s music landscape is ushering in a new era with the return of YME (Young Musicians Emporium) Tunes following a two-year hiatus.
Branded as the only digital music platform in Lesotho tailored specifically for artists, YME Tunes offers a suite of features that centers artists’ ownership, autonomy, and earnings.
The platform, proudly built “for artists, by artists,” has relaunched with new features aimed at empowering musicians through ownership, transparency, and regional market access.
YME Tunes initially operated as a web portal, but its growth potential soon demanded a more robust platform. According to founder Sir Schaba, the team paused operations to rebuild and enhance the service.
“We upgraded from a web portal to a fully operational app and added more functionalities for better usability and convenience,” he said.
During its downtime, the company focused not only on technology upgrades but also on strengthening systems to better serve artists and their audiences.
Unlike many global digital music platforms that assume universal banking access, YME Tunes is tailored for smaller economies like Lesotho, where mobile money services are more widespread than formal banking infrastructure.
“YME Tunes has always been perfectly placed for smaller economies where banking infrastructure is not highly compatible but mobile money platforms are more user-friendly,” noted Sir Schaba.
This approach allows even rural listeners to purchase their favourite tracks using Mpesa and Ecocash, widening market reach for artists. International fans are also accommodated through Visa and other card services.
This inclusive financial model positions YME Tunes as one of the few platforms that truly understands and designs for the unique realities facing African musicians and consumers.
YME Tunes places decision-making power firmly in the hands of artists. Eliminating traditional intermediaries such as distributors and aggregators, the platform deals directly with content owners.
“If an artist applies to be a Content Manager, they can upload music on their own, set their own pricing, and monitor sales performance in real time,” Sir Schaba explained.
This independence gives musicians unprecedented control over their creative output and revenue, making artist empowerment not just a slogan but a working system.
To strengthen trust between the platform and creators, YME Tunes has introduced a Know Your Customer (KYC) process. Artists must submit identification and relevant documentation before being approved to upload music. This ensures that the rightful owners are credited and compensated.
The revamped platform also allows: Monthly cash-outs, real-time sales tracking, music storage in the cloud – removing the past barrier of limited device storage.
Schaba said these features respond directly to complaints and feedback from the music community, offering a more secure and convenient service.
While streaming dominates global music consumption, artists often earn only fractions of a cent per play. Schaba believes this model was never designed to pay artists sustainable income.
“Streaming will never compensate artists fairly, it is never meant to do that,” he said.
Instead, YME Tunes prioritises music sales, ensuring that artists earn directly from each purchase. By embracing a pay-per-track model, it challenges the assumption that streaming is the only future of music distribution.
Looking ahead, YME Tunes aims to cement its place in the regional market.
“In the next five years, we see YME Tunes as one of the giant African music platforms in the Sub-Saharan region,” Sir Schaba said.
The rollout will begin in Lesotho before spreading to Botswana, Eswatini, and South Africa, with a focus on KwaZulu-Natal, home to the vibrant Maskandi genre.
For artists eager to join, the process is simple: register via www.ymetunes.com. Schaba encourages young artists to embrace continuous learning.
“Fame comes to an end, but if you are knowledgeable in the music business, you are for keeps.”
With its relaunch, YME Tunes offers renewed hope for a fairer, more accessible, and proudly African digital music ecosystem.
Summary
- “If an artist applies to be a Content Manager, they can upload music on their own, set their own pricing, and monitor sales performance in real time,” Sir Schaba explained.
- “In the next five years, we see YME Tunes as one of the giant African music platforms in the Sub-Saharan region,” Sir Schaba said.
- The rollout will begin in Lesotho before spreading to Botswana, Eswatini, and South Africa, with a focus on KwaZulu-Natal, home to the vibrant Maskandi genre.
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