TransAfrica Sounds is an independent magazine covering Afrobeats, Amapiano and the wider sound of Africa. This page explains where our facts come from, how we label what we know and what we don’t, and how we fix mistakes. If a story on this site makes a claim, the method behind it should be traceable to the rules below.
Who We Are
We are a new, independent publication. We are not owned by a label, a streaming service, an artist’s management team or an awards body. Our coverage decisions are our own, and we hold every story to the same standards regardless of how big or small the artist is.
Chart Recaps
Every chart recap names the specific chart and the chart date it covers. We write “this week’s charts” only after we have stated which chart we mean.
Examples of the kind of charts we report on include TurnTable’s Official Nigeria Top 100, the Official Charts Company’s UK Afrobeats Singles Chart, Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, and platform charts published by services like Spotify and Apple Music.
Our rules for chart coverage:
- We use the published chart. Positions, movements and weeks-on-chart figures come from the chart as its publisher released it on the chart date. We do not estimate positions from social media screenshots.
- We state the tracking period when it matters. Many charts are published on one day but reflect activity from an earlier week. When that gap affects how a reader should understand a result, we say so.
- We keep platform numbers separate from charts. Stream counts, Shazam rankings and playlist placements are useful context, but they are not chart positions. We name the platform and the date for any figure we quote.
- We don’t mix up regions. A song topping a country-specific chart is described that way, never as a global number one.
Awards Coverage
Award facts come from the organisers’ official announcements. That covers nominations, categories, winners, dates and venues.
For events like the Grammys, The Headies, the South African Music Awards or AFRIMA, we wait for the organiser’s announcement before we publish a winner as fact. During live ceremonies we report results as they are officially announced on stage or through the organiser’s own channels.
Predictions, our own picks and commentary on snubs are clearly framed as opinion. Fan polls are never presented as official results.
Artist Facts
Biographical details such as real names, hometowns, birth dates, label signings and discographies come from:
- Interviews, either our own or those published by reputable outlets, which we name in the text
- Official bios released by the artist, their label or their management
- Official release information from labels and distributors
When sources disagree, for example on an artist’s birth year or the release date of an early single, we use the official source and note the discrepancy if it matters to the story. We don’t fill gaps with guesses.
We don’t publish private information about artists or their families that they have not made public themselves. That includes home addresses, private relationships and health details.
Lyrics
Lyrics belong to the songwriters who wrote them. We quote only short excerpts, and only when the lines are central to the point we are making.
Every quoted lyric is credited to its songwriters, not only the performing artist. Where a track has several writers, we credit them as listed in official release credits.
Much of the music we cover mixes languages, including Yoruba, Nigerian Pidgin, isiZulu, Twi, Swahili, French and others. When we translate a lyric, we label the translation as ours. Slang and wordplay often don’t translate cleanly, and we would rather explain a line than pretend a literal translation captures it.
We do not publish full lyrics, full verses or full choruses.
News, Rumours and Leaks
Music news moves fast and a lot of it starts as speculation. We label every news item by what we actually know.
| Label | What it means |
|---|---|
| Confirmed | The artist, label, management, organiser or another official party has confirmed it publicly. |
| Reported | A named, reputable outlet has reported it, but it has not been officially confirmed. We name the outlet. |
| Rumour | The claim comes from social media, an anonymous account or an unverified insider. We say so plainly and explain why we are covering it at all. |
When we cover a claim that isn’t confirmed, we describe the source’s reliability in the sentence itself. An official announcement, a reporter with a proven record, a fan account and an anonymous poster are not equal, and our wording reflects the difference.
For leaked songs, unreleased snippets or stolen files:
- We report on the fact of a leak and what reputable outlets have said about it.
- We never host, embed or link to leaked audio, video or files, and we never explain how to find them.
- We never try to identify or guess the real identity of an anonymous leaker.
When a reported story is later confirmed or denied, we update the label and the text.
Opinion and Reviews
Album reviews, essays, ranked lists and “best of” pieces are opinion. They are labelled as such and written by people who have listened to the full project. A review reflects the writer’s judgement, not a commercial arrangement.
Independence and Commercial Content
No artist, label, PR agency or brand can pay to change our coverage, buy a review score or remove a fair story.
If we ever publish sponsored content or use affiliate arrangements, that content will be clearly labelled at the top of the page. Editorial articles will not be disguised advertising.
We do not promote cryptocurrency tokens or coins tied to artists, leakers or industry insiders.
Images and Media
We use official press photos, artwork and video released for promotion by artists and labels, and we credit them. We embed music only from official sources. We don’t upload or rip audio.
Corrections
We get things wrong sometimes. When we do, we fix it openly.
- Factual errors such as a wrong chart position, a misattributed songwriting credit, an incorrect date or a misspelled name are corrected as soon as we verify the right information.
- Significant corrections are noted at the bottom of the article, stating what was changed. We don’t silently rewrite claims that readers may already have shared.
- Minor fixes like typos and formatting are made without a note.
- Updates to developing stories are marked with the update so readers can see what changed since the first version.
If you spot an error, tell us through the contact options on this site. Include the article, the claim you believe is wrong and, if you can, the official source that shows the correct information. Artists, songwriters, labels and management teams are welcome to send corrections to credits or biographical details, and we will check them against official records before changing anything.
Keeping This Page Current
As the magazine grows, our processes will develop. When we change a rule that affects how readers should interpret our coverage, we will update this page.