Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions we hear most often. If you’re looking for the legal detail, see our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Refund Policy.
Topics
General
What is AfroPublish?
AfroPublish is the streaming platform and beat marketplace built for African artists, producers, songwriters and labels. You can upload your music, get streamed by fans on the web and mobile app, licence beats and sync rights, and track royalties — all in one place.
Who runs AfroPublish?
AfroPublish is operated by Starlight Group SA (Pty) Ltd, a private company registered in the Republic of South Africa.
Where can I use AfroPublish?
AfroPublish is available worldwide. Our content and support focus is on artists across Botswana, South Africa, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Nigeria and the broader African market, but artists from anywhere are welcome to sign up.
Accounts
How do I create an account?
Click Sign up at the top of the site, enter your email and a password, and verify the email we send you. You’ll then complete a short onboarding to set your stage name, country, language and primary genre.
Do I have to be 18 or older?
Yes — you must be at least 18, or the age of majority in your country, to use AfroPublish. If you’re younger, ask a parent or guardian to sign up on your behalf.
How do I delete my account?
Go to Settings › Account and use the “Delete account” option, or email support@starlightgroupsa.co.za. We’ll honour the request, subject to retention obligations described in our Privacy Policy.
Pricing & plans
What does it cost?
AfroPublish currently runs on a Free tier only. You can sign up, upload music, publish it to your AfroPublish profile and use the platform without paying a subscription. Paid plans (Pro and Label) are marked “Coming Soon” and cannot yet be purchased.
When will paid plans launch?
We’re finalising our payment integration with Paystack. We’ll email registered users when paid plans are live, and you’ll only be charged if you actively select and pay for one. There is no free trial that auto-converts to a paid plan.
Will the Free tier still work after Pro launches?
Yes. Our intent is to keep a meaningful Free tier so artists who are just starting out can still publish their music, build an audience and earn from streams and licence sales without a subscription.
Streaming on AfroPublish
How do fans listen to my music?
Your published songs stream directly on AfroPublish — on the website and in the AfroPublish mobile app. Fans can follow you, save your songs, watch your videos and join your live streams, all in one place.
How do I earn from streams?
Every qualified play (30 seconds or more) counts. Streams by signed-in listeners earn from the fan-powered royalty pool, which is funded by ads and listener subscriptions and divided among the artists those fans actually played.
Can I remove a song?
Yes — unpublish it from your dashboard at any time. Earnings already accrued remain yours.
Licensing & marketplace
How do beat licences work?
You list each beat with one or more licence tiers (Basic, Premium, Exclusive, or your own custom tier). Buyers purchase the tier they need; the licence is issued in your name with the terms displayed at checkout. Files (MP3, WAV, stems) are made available for download according to the licence selected.
What happens if I sell an Exclusive licence?
The Exclusive licence transfers exclusive use to the Buyer (within the territory and duration specified). After an Exclusive sale, the beat is automatically removed from the marketplace and you cannot grant further licences for it.
What is the platform fee on licence sales?
The fee is shown at the point of sale and on each transaction line in your earnings dashboard. The remaining net amount is credited to your AfroPublish balance.
Royalties & payouts
When are royalty statements generated?
Streaming royalties are calculated from AfroPublish plays on a monthly cycle. Once a period closes we reconcile it, apply our platform fee and any currency conversion, and publish your statement in your dashboard.
How do I get paid?
Set up your payout details in Settings › Payout. Once your balance crosses the minimum payout threshold and you’re within the payout window, we’ll process the payment to your configured method. Active payouts depend on our payment integration being live.
What about taxes?
You’re responsible for declaring and paying taxes on amounts you receive through AfroPublish. Where withholding tax is required by law, we may deduct it before paying you. Talk to a tax advisor in your country if you’re unsure.
Rights & content
Do I keep ownership of my music?
Yes. AfroPublish does not take ownership of your masters, compositions or any other rights. We only take a limited licence to host, stream and process your music for the purpose of providing the Platform — explained in clause 5 of our Terms of Use.
Can I upload music I didn’t create?
Only if you have the rights to do so — for example as a label representing the artist, a publisher representing the songwriter, or under a written licence/assignment. Uploading music you don’t have the rights to is a serious breach of our Terms and may lead to account termination and withheld royalties.
Someone uploaded my song without permission. What do I do?
Send a takedown notice to support@starlightgroupsa.co.za including the information described in clause 10 of our Terms of Use. We’ll review and act promptly on valid notices.
Support
How do I get help?
For most issues, open a ticket from Settings › Support in your dashboard. For general questions you can also email support@starlightgroupsa.co.za. Privacy and data requests go to support@starlightgroupsa.co.za; takedown notices and copyright matters go to support@starlightgroupsa.co.za.
What are your support hours?
Our team is based in South Africa and aims to respond on business days. We’ll always confirm receipt within 1 business day, even if a full response takes longer.