The music industry in the Middle East and North Africa offers brands an opportunity to build long-term marketing investments and partnerships, rather than settling for temporary promotional campaigns, driven by the sector’s revenue growth and the expanding presence of artists, streaming platforms and fan communities in the region’s cultural landscape.
Regional growth amid an expanding global market
According to the Global Music Report 2026, issued by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), recorded music revenue worldwide reached $31.7 billion in 2025. The Middle East and North Africa recorded growth of 15.2% during the same year, after achieving growth of 22.8% the previous year, placing it among the fastest-growing regions.
An article published by BroadcastPro ME notes that traditional measures of marketing success, including reach, impressions, frequency and share of media presence, remain important but are no longer sufficient in an increasingly fragmented media environment. According to the article, brands can build more sustainable value when they participate in culture rather than merely delivering their messages to audiences.
From traditional sponsorship to co-production
This shift involves moving the relationship between brands, platforms, artists and audiences away from traditional sponsorship and media buying toward deeper forms of collaboration, such as producing original content, developing sonic identities, organising live experiences, and building partnerships with artists and fan communities.
Nevertheless, many brands in the region still view music as an opportunity for a short-term promotional activity, despite the availability of the elements of a complete market, including a new generation of artists, an engaged audience, active fan communities, growing live entertainment markets, and streaming platforms embedded in local culture.
The article presents music as an interconnected economy bringing together artists, record companies, live events, platforms, content creators, listening behaviour and commercial investment. Accordingly, brands that treat it as a temporary line item may miss the opportunity to benefit from the broader ecosystem in which it operates.
A cultural connection that outlasts the campaign cycle
Under this view, the most effective partnerships are based on co-production: brands work with artists to develop original content, platforms help connect talent with audiences, and communities participate in shaping the experiences and discussions around them. This model aims to build a cultural connection that continues after the advertising campaign cycle ends.
The article gives platforms with regional roots a special role, based on the cultural trust, Arab identity and longstanding relationships with artists they possess, as well as their production capabilities and media reach. It concludes that the opportunity for brands is not limited to advertising around music, but extends to credible and sustained participation within its cultural and commercial economy.
