The influence of online promotion and distribution on sales performance of music for Tanzanian artists: the case study of Mkito, the online music distribution service

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the extent to which online promotion, online distribution, and consumer perceptions of these activities influence the sales performance of Tanzanian musicians. The study was undertaken using Mkito, an online distribution platform used to promote and sell music. 120 Musicians from Mkito and 45 online consumers were chosen through convenient sampling and questionnaires were used to gather data from musicians and consumers. In-depth interviews with experts at Mkito were used to compliment quantitative findings from questionnaires. The quantitative data was analyzed with the help of SPSS to arrive at frequency, percentages and mean. Findings suggest a lack of knowledge from musicians and communication between what is expected from an online music distribution platform, in terms of promotion and distribution, and how to optimally utilize it in order to improve sales revenue. Consumers’ perceptions of online promotion and distribution are positive but their needs are not catered to. There is a need to further study the best way to educate those in the Tanzanian music industry on the most effective strategies and how to put them into action when promoting and distributing music content online. Segmenting the Tanzanian online consumer market is also an area that needs to be delved into in order to establish best practices to attract and create sales revenue from music fans.