The study explores the potency of brand love in advertising, along with its impact on listeners’ consumption in key regional markets like Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Five out of 10 music streamers listen to music online on a daily basis, with around 30% using these services for at least five hours a day, according to research conducted by market research company Ipsos.
Titled “Music Steaming in MENA – Why it Matters to be Local”, the research was commissioned by media company Choueiri Group and music streaming service Anghami. It explores the potency of brand love in advertising, along with its impact on listeners’ consumption in key regional markets (Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE).
With total brand awareness about most music streaming platforms increasing swiftly across Saudi Arabia, especially among millennials aged between 25 to 34, this year has also been a breakout year for podcasting worldwide, resulting in more listeners picking up on this relatively new channel of entertainment. This has been specifically proven in the region as around 30% of UAE’s and 20% of Saudi Arabia’s population consider themselves as podcast listeners.
In the past decade, many local and international players have set foot in the audio streaming arena across the MENA region, which created a highly competitive space for platforms, all fighting for listeners’ ears and complete undivided attention. In that space, there are international brands that have been in this industry for some time now such as Spotify and Deezer, both originating from Europe, and are undeniably making waves in the region. Then, on the other hand, local players such as Lebanon-based Anghami have positioned themselves as the MENA streaming platform offering content that is close to the Arab streamers’ culture and identity.
It was also proven that, aside from Facebook, music streamers dedicate a big chunk of time during the day to listening to music online on weekends and weekdays, more so than they do with radio and other social media platforms such as Instagram.
Music streamers also enjoy listening to music online the most when they are relaxing in the comfort of their own homes, followed by when they are commuting or driving around. Moreover, it was noticeable that music streaming platforms are the best and most used method in helping music lovers explore and discover new releases and up and coming artists.
Amongst numerous interesting insights which were garnered from this research, the most important area identified was regarding the potency of having a platform with a localised personality appearing on the audio streaming scene.
Listeners in the Middle East were missing the flavour of home and the sense of relatability which was tenuous among the international music streaming platforms available for users. Arab listeners were also growing a need to feel recognised and have their identities understood and identified with. With all of these findings coming into play, having localised attributes and an essence of “home” built in your music streaming brand are highly appreciated and favoured by consumers, as this helps platforms lever for growth and creates more relevance to listeners in the market. Consequently, it helps to place them on a higher pedestal for their unique offerings, especially in the audio streaming sector. The study serves as a mere reflection of the rapidly evolving world of audio streaming, and only time will tell how this will inherently shape up the music and advertising industry in the future.
