MENA is the World’s Fastest Growing Music Industry: What Comes Next?

The report in context

Upon the report’s publication, Lebanese American music journalist Danny Hajjar took to Instagram and asked: “What are we going to do with this information? What’s the point of growth if there’s zero discussion of strategy?”

Hoping he could answer these questions for us, OkayAfrica reached out to Hajjar and his fellow Egyptian British music journalist Deana Hassanein Soni. The two co-host the podcast “Shik Shak Shook Ones” on which they dive into the hottest topics in music coming from the MENA region and its global diaspora communities. Coincidentally, their latest episode is called “The Music Industry Needs to Change.”

“This report looks at the financial growth of music scenes globally,” Hajjar explains to OkayAfrica. “Everybody shared that ‘it’s so cool that we’re growing’ and if this was five or ten years ago, I’d agree. Now, we have more of a foundation and it’s worth asking: is this growth sustainable and strategic? And who/what is actually growing?”

Soni points out that all regions grew: led by South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa recorded a rise of 22.6 percent while South America grew 22.5 percent. Thus, the wording of MENA being the “fastest-growing region” by 0.2 percent distracts from what we should really be looking at: whether and where this revenue of over $144 million is being reinvested. Living off music is an unreachable dream for most artists; can they benefit from this rising industry at all or are the labels and streaming platforms gatekeeping the money?

 To trust or not to trust labels?

The report states that “The partnership between artists and their record label is the cornerstone of the music ecosystem.” However, its global, western perspective is bound to miss local nuances. “In the region, artists have long held a deep hesitancy toward record labels, given the reputation that labels have had with major pop artists,” says Hajjar. “There’s a fear of being discarded if a debut single doesn’t do well.”

The financial power of labels is also raising concerns about authenticity vs. misrepresentation. The co-hosts are critical of a general obsession to “make it globally” at the expense of local audiences. “A while ago, we felt that we needed to prove ourselves on the world stage,” says Soni. Once MENA music started getting traction, she noticed a change in music making when western labels opened branches in the Gulf. “Certain artists are diluting their identity to what western audiences expect our region to create. That’s something I don’t like about label involvement.”

Deana Soni on Western Labels

“What stood out to me in the report was that most of the streamed artists from the Middle East and North Africa were regional artists,” she continues. “But I see all the investments being pumped into diaspora artists who infuse [their music with] western influences.”

The MENA region is characterized by stark economic and political differences. “We’re well aware that the hubs for music are Dubai and Riyadh. They have the financial capital and stability to invest and create,” says Hajjar. “What does that mean for scenes in Lebanon or Tunisia?” He is concerned that this concentration of wealth fails to reach independent artists and labels that are subsumed under ‘MENA.’ “Historically, the market of North African artists outside of Egypt has been Europe, not the Middle East,” he says.

Danny Hajjar on Breaking Down Borders

Now what?

Why is this discussion important? Because the region lacks a culture of nuanced culture criticism. “We need better, robust, consistent journalism on our scene that can thoughtfully push back and probe instead of just celebrating the headlines and being advertorial,” says Hajjar. “It’s fair to ask whether artists are a part of this growth.”

A media landscape that hypes everything and critically evaluates nothing stifles artistic growth, even though it may be seeing financial growth. Similarly, letting westerners and diasporans run major music labels fails to grasp the region’s essence.

Soni hopes the extra revenues will be funding accessible conferences and festivals, songwriting and production programs, protection and mentoring. “For me it’s about: what does music do when I hear it? How does it make me feel?” she says. “With this money, allow artists to flourish. I want to listen to music, I don’t want to watch content creators anymore.”

“Yes!” agrees Hajjar. “And demolish the borders! As a Lebanese listener, I should know what’s going on in Tunisia and that - in my opinion - some of the most innovative music is coming out of Morocco.”