How to Watch Trace+ Outside France: VPN Guide 2026
The story behind Trace+ starts with the French media group TRACE, founded back in 2017 by Olivier Laouchez. What began as a single music channel grew into an afro-urban hub with twenty-five live Trace TV channels, more than a hundred radio stations and a deep library of concerts spanning Afrobeats, kompa and kizomba. It runs on a freemium model: radio, Trace Academia courses and short clips are free with ads, while the premium tier unlocks every channel.
Step outside France and the francophone markets, though, and you hit a geo-block, since licensing keeps Trace+ limited to roughly 15 countries. A VPN like Surfshark swaps your IP for a French one, and the app springs back to life. From a trip across Asia or the US you can still catch a fresh interview or playlist as if you were home in Paris. Video streams up to 1080p.
Can you watch Trace+ outside France?
Best VPN for Trace+
Tested weekly by our team. Green: works, amber: partial, red: blocked.
| VPN Service | Price | Trace+ | Tested | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
SurfsharkBEST | From $1.78/mo | ✓ Works | June 14 | Try it |
ExpressVPN | From $2.79/mo | ✓ Works | June 15 | Open |
NordVPN | From $2.99/mo | ✓ Works | June 14 | Open |
ProtonVPN | From $3.59/mo | ✓ Works | June 13 | Open |
Private Internet Access | From $1.79/mo | ✓ Works | June 11 | Open |
CyberGhost | From $1.75/mo | ✓ Works | June 15 | Open |
IPVanish | From $2.19/mo | ✓ Works | June 14 | Open |
How to Unblock Trace+ with a VPN
Takes about 2 minutes. Works on your phone, tablet, TV, PC, or laptop.
- Pick a reliable VPNGo with Surfshark, which keeps fast servers in France. Pricing starts at $1.78 per month and one account covers your phone and tablet.Skip random free VPNs; they often throttle traffic and log what you stream.
- Connect to a server in FranceOpen the VPN app and choose a French city such as Paris. That hands you a home IP address Trace+ treats as legitimate.
- Sign in to the appLaunch Trace+ on your phone or at trace.plus and log in to your account. If the app cached an old location, restart it once.
- Play music and channelsPick the Trace Urban channel or an Afrobeats playlist and watch live. Streaming runs smoothly up to 1080p wherever you happen to be.
Which countries is Trace+ available in?
Trace+ works in 15 countries, including in France, in Belgium, in Benin, in Burkina Faso and in Cameroon. In 179 more it is blocked, and outside available regions you will need a VPN.
Available in 15 countries No VPN needed
Show all 3 more countries
Trace+ works without a VPN in France, in Belgium, in Benin, in Burkina Faso, in Cameroon, in the Congo and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, plus in 8 more countries.
Blocked in 179 countries VPN required
Show all 167 more countries
Trace+ is blocked in the United States, in the United Kingdom, in Australia, in Canada and in New Zealand, plus in 174 more countries. To access it, use a premium VPN like Surfshark.
How Much Does Trace+ Cost?
Free
- 1 simultaneous stream
- Ad-free
- No offline downloads
Premium
- 1 simultaneous stream
- Ad-free
- No offline downloads
Premium Annuel
- 1 simultaneous stream
- Ad-free
- No offline downloads
Who’s behind the service?
What is Trace+
Trace+ is the streaming home of afro-urban music and culture, run by French media group TRACE. Stream around 25 live channels like Trace Urban, Trace Naija and Trace Gospel, plus 100+ radios, concerts, music videos and artist documentaries. A free ad-supported tier covers the basics, while Premium at €4.99 a month unlocks everything, including the Trace Academia learning courses.

Company and history
- Olivier Laouchez and partners launch the TRACE brand as a music TV channel focused on urban and afro sounds. That root later grew into the whole family of channels and the Trace+ app.
- TRACE launches TracePlay, the first global app for urban and afro music combining SVOD, live TV and radio. That app is the direct predecessor of today's Trace+.
- US fund TPG Growth takes a majority stake in the TRACE group. The deal aimed to turn the afro-urban brand into a global leader and bankroll its streaming push.
- Nigerian company WeTalkSound and the Trace Naija channel announce a strategic Afrobeats partnership. The goal is fresh, exclusive content on the Afrobeats scene, feeding into the Trace+ app.
- In partnership with Canal+ and MultiChoice, TRACE rebrands the Trace Africa channel as Trace Ngoma, debuting on DStv. The new channel focuses on South African music such as amapiano and gqom.
- Trace Ngoma gets its official launch in Johannesburg on DStv channel 326. The group also signals more digital products around Trace+ in the coming months.
- TRACE serves as principal media partner and producer of a major pan-African concert in Nairobi during the Africa Forward 2026 summit. Artists such as Youssou N Dour and Yemi Alade performed.
Trust signals
Watch on all your devices
Supported devices
Video quality
UX features
Accessibility
Tips & tricks you should know
5 tips from our Trace+ testing team · Updated June 10, 2026
- Pick the annual Premium at €44.99 instead of paying €4.99 monthly and you save roughly a quarter over a full year.
- Try the free ad-supported tier first: it covers 100+ radios, music videos and every Trace Academia course, while the 25 live channels stay behind Premium.
- Streaming from outside France, francophone Europe, Africa or the Caribbean? Connect Surfshark to a French server before opening the app.
- There is no offline download, so cache nothing for flights, just queue the radios and video clips over a stable connection instead.
- Use the free Trace Academia courses, subtitled in three languages, to pick up real certificates while you listen.
Other services you can watch
Not the right fit? Here are services in the same category you can compare.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know before subscribing to Trace+.
Ready to watch Trace+ without borders?
Surfshark unlocks Trace+ from anywhere in the world. Risk-free 30-day money-back.
Try Surfshark
