For years, the music coming out of the Middle East and Africa was treated like a genre—or worse, a niche. But now, backed by numbers that are hard to ignore, the region has gone from underrepresented to undeniable.
According to the IFPI Global Music Report 2025, the Middle East and North Africa has once again been named the world’s fastest-growing music market, with a 22.8% spike in recorded music revenue. Hot on its heels is Sub-Saharan Africa, which posted a 22.6% growth and, for the first time ever, crossed the $100 million mark.
Both regions share one major thing in common—music scenes that are streaming-first, mobile-native, and youth-driven. In MENA, for instance, streaming accounts for 99.5% of all recorded music revenue—an astounding figure when you consider how varied the global music economy still is. In other words, these aren’t traditional music markets catching up—they’re skipping the CD and going straight to the cloud.
Young listeners are also reshaping what gets heard in the first place. This streaming revolution means there’s no waiting for a global gatekeeper to approve what’s trending. Instead, artists from Cairo to Casablanca are blending Arabic pop with trap rhythms, layering Amapiano beats beneath soulful melodies, and fusing Khaleeji poetry with electronic soundscapes. Genre boundaries are dissolving completely.
At the heart of this momentum is Spotify, which has become the go-to platform for regional artists aiming to break through borders, and for fans eager to discover sounds that sound like home—and beyond.
In conversation with Soigné Middle East, Mark Abou Jaoude, Head of Music, MENAP at Spotify, weighed in on the moment. “The revelation by IFPI that the Middle East and North Africa is the world’s fastest-growing music market for the second time not only underscores a statistical milestone; it also highlights the resilience and creativity of regional artists captivating audiences locally and globally. With streaming accounting for nearly all of MENA’s music revenues, Spotify’s role in promoting homegrown talent is more crucial than ever. We witness this impact daily on our platform, where we’re powering nearly 2 billion music discoveries every 24 hours. I believe we are entering a golden era for Arabic music, as engagement with it continues to grow exponentially on Spotify.”
“The world needs to experience more music from the Middle East and North Africa, and we are dedicated to amplifying the diverse voices from the region, connecting them with a global audience, and enriching the world’s music culture,” he added.
Spotify’s editorial programs—like RADAR Arabia and EQUAL Arabia—have helped introduce artists like Wegz, Elyanna, Saint Levant, Ayra Starr, and Bloody Civilian to global listeners.
And with listening becoming increasingly borderless, cities like Cairo, Lagos, Casablanca, and Riyadh are turning into cultural favourites, not just locally but internationally.
What’s happening isn’t a fluke. It’s not a trend. It’s a rebalancing. After decades of being under the radar, artists from the Middle East and Africa are now commanding stages, algorithms, and fan bases—without having to dilute their sound.
