This App Promises The Largest Local Music Library & Fails To Deliver

My experience of the Zim Music Store started of on a pretty bad note. Given that the application was being marketed as the largest online music repository locally – I went in with high expectations.

A bit of a backstory

So Zim Music Store seems to have been around for a while now – they had a website but no app. I had never used it prior to the guys from Zim Music Store reaching out and asking us to take a look at their new baby (the app). So I downloaded Zim Music Store and tested it out.

Pros

If you’re a fan of stuff that doesn’t usually get airplay, you’ll find some of it here.The claim “Zim’s largest online music repository” actually holds up (I’ll explain why in a bit), but for those of you who love underground Zim Music the app might scratch that itch.

Most of the available music library is made up of less known local hip-hop and Zim Dancehall. Additionally, there’s also some Afropop and Gospel Rap but those genres have very few songs it’s hard to actually acknowledge them as being in the application.

Cons

There’s a lengthy list of questionable things about the app in its current state. A lot of mainstream music just simply isn’t there. I think this is because of copyrights. Zim Music Store doesn’t seem to be paying out any royalties so artists aren’t incentivised to put music on the platform.

Here’s what Zim Music Store’s description in the Google Store says about uploading music:

All of the music featured on our platform is submitted by artist, users, or available for free download on the web. If you feel that your intellectual property has been infringed upon, please get in touch. We would be happy to remove the music if necessary.

This means anyone and everyone can upload music on the Zim Music Store. Whilst this is great for up and coming artists – bigger artists might not necessarily be interested in that sort of arrangement.

Another copyright red flag is the fact the after music has been uploaded it might not be reviewed as highlighted on the Zim Music Store;

Not all music will be reviewed, but we will do our best to put out the best material possible

Long story short, all this means some of the biggest local artists music simply isn’t available on the application. Oliver Mtukudzi? Nope. Winky D? Nope. Jah Prayzah? Nope. All these huge artists selections aren’t available on the application.

Locally, Buddie Beatz offers a wider selection of music and Zim Music Store has a long way to go if they want to catch up to them.