ADA Worldwide
Warner Music Group's global distribution arm, whose African footprint runs through the Africori and Qanawat acquisitions and a direct deal with Ghana's Stonebwoy.
- Based in
- New York, United States
- Founded
- 1993
- Website
- ada-music.com
ADA Worldwide (Alternative Distribution Alliance) is Warner Music Group’s global independent distribution and label-services division, founded in 1993 as a joint venture between WMG and Restless Records and now wholly owned by Warner. It delivers artist and label catalogues to streaming services and offers marketing, sync and rights administration without requiring artists or labels to sign directly to a major.
ADA’s African and North Africa/Middle East operations run through two separate Warner acquisitions: Johannesburg-based, pan-African distributor Africori, in which Warner took a minority stake in 2020, majority control in 2022, and full ownership on 11 February 2025, and Dubai, Cairo and Casablanca-based MENA distributor Qanawat Music, acquired in 2022. Warner announced on 8 July 2026 that both businesses would fold into ADA as “ADA x Africori” and “ADA x Qanawat Music” under Howard Corner, newly named Head of ADA, EMEA. ADA also signed a direct global distribution agreement with Ghana’s Stonebwoy and his label Burniton Music Group in April 2024. Other distribution and services clients have included Nigeria’s Chocolate City.
Ownership: wholly owned division of Warner Music Group.