PopArabia, a music publisher and rights consultancy serving the Middle East, now represents the four major music publishers, having recently secured a deal with Warner/Chappell Music Publishing. Universal Music Publishing Group, EMI Music Publishing, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing were already names PopArabia had signed deals with to promote and enable legitimate and legal use of […]
PopArabia, a music publisher and rights consultancy serving the Middle East, now represents the four major music publishers, having recently secured a deal with Warner/Chappell Music Publishing. Universal Music Publishing Group, EMI Music Publishing, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing were already names PopArabia had signed deals with to promote and enable legitimate and legal use of their music in the region. A twofour54 portfolio company, PopArabia represents the vast majority of music released worldwide.
Yassine Watson-Bedaisi, Managing Director of PopArabia, commented: “Our partnership with the major international music publishing companies gives us exclusive management rights to millions of song titles. We license music used in TV commercials, online advertising campaigns, documentaries, TV series, feature films and other mediums to ensure payments are made for the legal use of music.”
“Although copyright laws exist in the UAE, music makers currently struggle to receive compensation when their music is used and this is where we come into play. We are advocates for respect of music rights and the support we receive from twofour54 puts us in a better position to achieve our goal,” Yassine added.
PopArabia Founder, Spek commented: “As a young songwriter, who had just moved from Canada to the UK in 1997, Warner Chappell signed me and helped me to develop my career in this industry. It was a life-defining chapter in my career, so it feels like I’ve come full circle to see PopArabia sign this deal with a view to similarly supporting other songwriters in one of the fastest growing markets in the world.
Noura Al Kaabi, CEO of twofour54, commented: “PopArabia plays a vital role in the development of a sustainable commercial music industry in the MENA region. Copyright provides content creators with exclusive rights to their work and allows them to be rewarded for their creative contributions. It also encourages them to continue investing their time, resources and money into creating new content which in turn reflects positively on the economy. We strongly believe in the value PopArabia adds to the entire media industry and we are pleased to support PopArabia’s efforts to ensure legal and fair consumption of music.”
Currently, music makers and publishing companies face difficulties in establishing revenue streams when their music is used in the UAE. Music is being used for free in some industries without regard to copyright. Nonetheless, it is important to note that under the 2002 UAE law, copyright infringement is punishable by a minimum fine of USD 2,723 and two months in prison for each infringement. Consequently, adhering to the law and using the proper channels to use copyrighted music is critical for both music makers and consumers alike.
PopArabia represents contemporary chart hits of all genres, styles, languages and eras. It connects the dots between those in the MENA region seeking access to the world’s finest music and international music stakeholders seeking opportunities in the Arab world. PopArabia also acts as consultants to digital services, rights organisations, content owners and platforms seeking to simplify music rights licensing in the region.
