Pan-African music information and exchange portal, Music in Africa launched finally launched the much-awaited online directory for the African music sector on September 5.

Accessible free of charge at www.musicinafrica.net, the Music In Africa directory is designed to enhance access, awareness and exchange in the sector.

Music In Africa Foundation director, Eddie Hatitye had this to say about the directory, "The directory provides exciting opportunities for all those who are active or just interested in the sector to showcase their work, tie new relationships and network."

"We hope this platform will be the central online meeting space for the entire African music sector and we invite all music professionals to use it to the fullest. All this is in line with our vision to be the leading source of information and exchange in the African music sector," added Hatitye.

As a way of increasing usability, the directory is divided into six sub-categories, namely artists, media, service providers, venues and events, music education and organizations, networks and associations.

A search engine and a filtering tool helps users to find and discover content quickly. The directory also offers a range of networking tools, as well as the possibility to collaborate and improve existing content.

Over 2 000 unique directory profiles, with a preliminary focus on Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya, DRC and South Africa, have already been created, and with the help of Music In Africa's editorial team and the larger community of users and contributors, the aim is to reach over 10 000 profiles from all over Africa before the end of this year.

Music In Africa will activate four more key sections in the next few weeks, the Magazine section featuring news, reviews and features, the Resources section with overviews of different African music scenes, the Education section offering educational content and the Music Discovery tool for those who want to discover and listen to African music.

Music In Africa is an initiative by Siemens Stiftung and the Goethe-Institut, together with partners from across Africa. It is owned and governed by the Music In Africa Foundation, a registered non-profit organization with members in different parts of Africa.