(Seychelles News Agency) - A new app will soon go online that will provide Seychellois artists with a platform to sell their music on the international market. SeyBitz - which is expected to be launched by the end of September - is a music streaming platform where artists from the island nation will be able to showcase their new releases and discography. 

‘SeyBitz,’ which has been in development for two years, will soon be available on Apple's app store and Google Play and will serve as a platform exclusively for Seychellois music and Seychellois artists which will allow them to sell their music locally as well as internationally, Yannick Esparon, the app's developer, said in a presentation to artists at the National Arts Council in Victoria.

“The idea for the app came to me after some of my friends who reside overseas were talking about how it’s virtually impossible to access creole music outside Seychelles said Esparon,” said, adding that he discussed his idea with some artists and they expressed their concerns over music piracy and how they can market their music outside of the 115 islands archipelago in the western Indian Ocean. 

Esparon said that artists spend a lot of money creating music so he thinks it’s only fair that people who appreciate local music support them on all platforms. 

SeyBitz will be available for free but users will have the option to subscribe to the app which will allow them to have access to a musician’s catalogue for a limited amount of time or they can buy the music directly.

“The idea for the app came to me after some of my friends who reside overseas were talking about how it’s virtually impossible to access creole music outside Seychelles said Yannick Esparon the App developer. (Seychelles Nation) Photo License: CC-BY

The streaming platform will also give users the option to save downloads offline. Once artists are signed to SeyBitz their catalogue will be secure and they will be able to sell concert tickets on the app as well. 

Artists who want to sign up to the app will have to enter an agreement with creators where they will have to pay a commission fee. Through the app, the artists will get paid by the number of sales and subscribers they have.  

Artists will also decide how much they want to sell their music and how long their albums will be on sale on the app. 

Producer Darren Bonnelame told SNA on Monday that the app is a good initiative which is a bigger and better option for local artists. “We will have a bigger audience and also get the feel of the international market. With the app we hope to curb the issue of piracy as well,” said Bonnelame.  

According to Bonnelame – the owner of Maudio Waves Studio – this will benefit not only artists but their fans as well. “For instance, if someone likes only one song on an album, now they will have the possibility of buying only one or two songs instead of the whole album.”