How PopArabia is Transforming MENA’s Music Publishing Industry

While the MENA region’s music industry is growing at an unprecedented rate, the legalities and protocol behind its finances are still moulded by the way it used to operate in the past, where the rights of songwriters, composers, and even producers are often completely unaccounted for.

In this interview, PopArabia CEO Spek, and Vice President of A&R and Acquisitions Wissam Khodur tell us about the initiative they are taking to reform this issue, and about their recent acquisition of vast catalogues of Arabic music.

Operating out of Abu Dhabi’s twofour54 media free zone, the company has begun tackling the issue by establishing ESMAA, a music rights management entity that operates within the gulf and pays royalties to their members for the use of their work. This business model enables ESMAA to find new revenue streams for artists, while also laying down the legal groundwork for songwriters and composers who are entitled to royalties on a given track.

Spek and Wissam also talk about PopArabia’s work as a record label, as they are working with acts such as Bashar Murad and Bedouin Burger to continue pushing for the growth of new music from within the region.

Watch the full interview here: