The region has seen a massive growth of over 170% in music genres between 2019 and 2022. Hours spent listening to podcasts have increased by over 220% across the region split between UAE (106%), Egypt (873%), and KSA (295%).

Akshat Harbola, Managing Director of Spotify across the Middle East discusses with us the various trends Spotify has tapped into in the last year and how they managed to do it. From supporting local Arab artists to podcasters in the region – the platform has been redefining opportunities for local and international artists in the region. 

In image above: Akshat Harbola, Managing Director across MENA

What strategies has Spotify employed to ensure the discoverability of Arab artists on the platform, particularly for international audiences? Are there any specific features or initiatives that have contributed to their increased visibility?

We are deeply committed to driving growth in the region, given the remarkable rate of expansion we are witnessing. This commitment is manifested through various initiatives. Our foremost priority is enhancing the discoverability of artists from this region, and we employ several strategies to achieve this.

Firstly, we engage in manual curation, employing expert editors who curate playlists. An exemplary instance of this is the playlist named Arab X, featuring tracks from the region that are transcending borders. Secondly, our algorithms play a crucial role in making recommendations. These recommendations result from the meticulous training of our algorithms to recognize Arabic music and provide personalized suggestions. Editors collaborate closely with the machine to enhance the strength of these recommendations.

Thirdly, we empower artists by curating special tools for them. Our Spotify for Artists tool, for instance, allows artists to access demographic information about their audience, host and track live events, and pitch recommendations to our editorial teams. Another tool – Countdown Pages enables fans to pre-save their favorite artists' albums.

Additionally, we actively strive to lower barriers for entry for emerging artists. Recognizing the challenges they face in breaking through and finding their footing in the industry, we aim to mediate and assist them in navigating the business side. In the region, we have a program called Radar Arabia, which over the past year has supported emerging talent by providing best-in-class editorial and marketing support. This support aims to help them reach new audiences both within and outside their markets.

Finally, we are always empowering women creators in the region. Equal Arabia is one such program we’ve worked on to surface up-and-coming female artists, providing them with a platform, guidance in editorial curation, and most importantly supporting them through our partners.

How has the recent surge in podcast growth influenced the overall listening behavior of users in the region? Are there any notable insights regarding the preferences of listeners when it comes to podcast content?

The podcast segment is relatively smaller than music but is growing quickly. More than 10 million listeners are tuning into podcasts across the region today. Majority of them are from KSA and UAE, but there is a lot of growth in Egypt at the same time.

While there is a multitude of emerging genres for podcasts, the most trending ones are lifestyle, comedy, wellness, and self-improvement. Previously, Spotify’s most innovative features were limited to Anchor users exclusively. But we now have a new Spotify for Podcasters in a way that offers more open access to innovation. As a result, all Spotify for Podcasters users—including those not hosting their content on Spotify—will find access to Q&A and poll functionality in their dashboards.

Considering the fusion of traditional Arab music with Western influences, how has Spotify observed the response of listeners to this evolving musical landscape? Are there any trends or data points that highlight the impact of this fusion on listener engagement and preferences?

The real macro trend here is that we live in a globalized world. And, with all the challenges that the fact throws at us, there is also a big opportunity – to explore different cultures. In the music world, we call this fusion, which refers to the process of bringing beats from different cultures together to create something new. Fusion is something that happens organically. You can enable it, but it's a constant. Today artists in the region such as Egyptian and Moroccan rappers have developed their own styles, tapping into a brand-new audience segment. Egyptian indie music, for example, has been making a real splash in the country’s music scene. Indie artists are playing a big part in changing things up, pushing the music vibe more towards local pop, with consumption shooting up. Compared to the results in September 2022, there has been a substantial increase in Egyptian alternative music consumption in September 2023, rising by +275%.

Another interesting observation is that of Morocco artists spearheading a movement that takes music from the Arab world across European borders into countries like France, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and Germany. A compelling narrative of diaspora is emerging from the Maghreb region, serving as a musical bridge between Arabic audiences and the expansive Arab expatriate community in Europe. In Saudi, local hip hop is on the rise – the genre is becoming more integrated with Khaleeji sounds, transforming the genre and making it appeal to the local Saudi as well as a wider audience.

I would say that fusion has always been present; it is happening as we speak. Ultimately, it becomes so ingrained in the local fabric that it starts finding audiences externally as well.

How does Spotify track and analyze listener engagement with podcasts in the region? Are there any specific metrics or trends that indicate the popularity of certain podcast genres or topics among regional audiences?

So, it's as simple as this: our team listens to podcasts on a daily basis, spends time with creators, and utilizes available data to track audience responses. It's a combination of internal and external data, along with collaboration with creators, to build a comprehensive understanding of what's really going on. For instance, when working with creators, we analyze how a podcast is performing and how different audience cohorts are reacting. We then develop strategies to grow their audiences, suggesting changes as needed. This approach allows us to keep our ears on the ground. In these conversations, our primary focus is making a particular creator successful.

For example, as a podcaster in Egypt, you'll notice a strong response to comedy talk shows. This doesn't mean you should become a comedian, but it's valuable information for shaping your content strategy. As a creator, it's essential to be aware of these preferences. Additionally, we analyze our charts to identify trending topics. For instance, during Ramadan, there was a significant spike in interest for the Saudi podcast Fnjan. This highlighted a clear audience interest in lifestyle topics such as mental health, climate change, economy, business dynamics, and more.

Spotify’s Wrapped campaign takes the internet by storm at the end of every year. Can you elaborate on the role of curated playlists in promoting Arab artists and their music on Spotify? How does this feature contribute to the overall exposure and recognition of emerging talent from the region?

We launched Wrapped in 2016. The campaign is essentially a highly personalized, data-driven report on the user’s music habits. The report also recognizes the city or country where the user’s music taste closely aligns. Our goal is to take users on a journey that evokes nostalgia, reflecting on memories from the past year through their music exploration.

Spotify's curation can be described as the best of man and machine. We've appointed music editors representing all major markets in the region, from Morocco to Saudi Arabia. Editors track consumer trends and music culture, leveraging human intuition and expertise to create excellent playlists and recommend music. We also have powerful algorithms that suggest music based on their understanding of both music and the user. The combination of human expertise and machine capabilities results in outstanding recommendations for all our users. Our editors, as cultural experts, guide our algorithms in specific directions based on the cultural nuances of different markets. Every market is unique – for instance, Egypt is not similar to Morocco. Therefore, our recommendations reflect cultural trends as they happen and even before they break, catering to individual personal tastes.

What collaborative efforts has Spotify undertaken with local music industry stakeholders to facilitate the growth and development of Arab artists, particularly those exploring a fusion of traditional and contemporary musical elements?

I can explain this best with our most exciting initiatives in empowering local artists. The inaugural edition of the Spotify Singles Program in the region features Tagne, a Moroccan-Cameroonian artist, who will showcase different versions of two tracks from his new album. Spotify Singles allows artists to record new versions of their songs, covers, or original compositions. To date, more than 700 recordings from over 300 artists spanning various genres have been featured, including renowned names like Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay Celine Dion, and more.

In August last year, we launched a brand-new playlist for independent artists in the MENA region called Fresh Finds Arabia. The playlist features music from developing artists to increase discoverability – putting them under the radar. Fresh Finds playlists from all over the world, including Brazil, Pakistan, Spain, Australia/ NZ, UK/IE, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore/Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Italy, Germany/Switzerland/Austria, South Korea, and Turkey, to further Spotify’s mission of helping developing artists find a global fanbase.