Cinq Music Group, part of GoDigital Music, has acquired the catalog of Nigerian artist D'Banj, announced on July 15, 2026. The purchase comes as part of a broader partnership with C.R.E.A.M, the platform D'Banj founded and leads as CEO. Financial terms were not disclosed.
What changes hands
D'Banj's catalog moves into the Cinq Music ecosystem. The announcement does not specify whether the catalog consists of master recordings, publishing or both. Cinq itself frames the catalog purchase as one milestone within the partnership rather than its core. The main commitment is for Cinq to sign and develop 10 artists selected through C.R.E.A.M's talent competition, Best of The Streets (B.O.T.S), which returns in October 2026. The wider C.R.E.A.M community will also get distribution and monetization services through Octiive, another GoDigital company.
The catalog
- Oliver Twist: D'Banj's best-known single, released after he signed to Kanye West's GOOD Music in 2011. It reached No. 9 on the UK Official Singles Chart in 2012 and has about 35.6 million Spotify streams.
- Mo' Hits era recordings: D'Banj ran Mo' Hits Records with Don Jazzy until the two split in 2012.
C.R.E.A.M launched in 2016 and says it has more than 7 million subscribers in Nigeria.
Why it matters
GoDigital raised $230 million in November 2025 in a round led by Bank of America, manages more than 80,000 assets, and has been building out Octiive and a European base in Zurich. Cinq has also bought the Beluga Heights label, including Jason Derulo's catalog, in an eight-figure deal.
The structure is worth noting for African rightsholders. Instead of a plain catalog sale, the artist bundled his repertoire with a pipeline of new talent and access to a large domestic audience. That gives the buyer growth beyond the existing royalty stream, and gives the seller leverage and an ongoing role. With major labels also investing in Nigeria (Universal took a majority stake in Don Jazzy's Mavin in February 2024), Afrobeats catalogs are attracting more varied buyers.