In certain regions of Africa, where basic “feature phones” are ubiquitous but Internet connectivity is mostly non-existent, the only network for new music are physical markets where téléchargeurs (downloaders) transfer playlists directly to their customers’ devices.
From Lydia Polgreen’s article in The New York Times Magazine, with beautiful images by Michaël Zumstein:
(Téléchargeurs) know what their regulars might like, from the latest Jay Z album to the obscurest songs of Malian music pioneers like Ali Farka Touré. Savvy musicians take their new material to Fankélé Diarra Street and press the téléchargeurs to give it a listen and recommend it to their customers. For a small fee — less than a dime a song — the téléchargeurs transfer playlists to memory cards or U.S.B. sticks, or directly onto cellphones. Customers share songs with their friends via short-range Bluetooth signals.