Music streaming company Anghami has announced that it has recorded three-fold growth in audio ad revenue last year as part of its music marketing services with the support of its advertising partner DMS.

Anghami is the first platform to bring music marketing into the region through audio ads and sponsored playlists.

The rise of streaming has extended artists’ reach, expanded users’ content accessibility and improved brands’ targeting. Through Anghami, marketers are tapping into “deep music intelligence” to communicate the right audio ad to their target audience using technology, data and emotions.

Since inception, Anghami has partnered with more than 20 mobile operators from 10 countries and works with over 200 brands and technology providers to provide international and local music to over 40 million users.

Elie Abou Saleh, commercial director at Anghami says in a statement, “Music has always been a major focus for brands to communicate to potential consumers. Nowadays, the change is through the medium and the message. We are helping brands craft their sonic identity through different personalized solutions by creating tailored music that fits different moments of the day. This allows them to offer users a musical journey that complements their activity and matches their product or service.”

While social media presence is important for growing awareness and engagement with brands, the digital marketing trends in MENA are expanding. MENA consumers are relying more on brands’ digital messages to guide them through a purchase journey.

91 percent of online consumers in the UAE and 88 percent in KSA have acted after seeing an online ad, video, audio, or website content from a brand that is relevant to them.

In a region where the majority of the online population consumes content across devices, brands are looking for ways to put their content into context to reach their relevant consumers. With the rise of streaming services and voice-controlled devices, digital audio advertising on a music streaming platform have become very attractive and represent 67.5 percent affinity compared to advertising on podcasts or radio.

79 percent of audio consumption takes place while people are engaged in activities where visual media cannot reach them.

Abou Saleh adds: “We expect to continue to see a rise in music marketing. Audio ads, in particular, offer a captive experience that provides brands 59 percent higher brand recall as well as 2X more on purchase intent versus display. In addition, targeting with Anghami’s audio ads not only utilizes data metrics but also emotions.”