Development within the MENA area has been a significant spotlight for the worldwide music trade in recent times.

In accordance with world recorded music physique IFPI, recorded music market revenues within the Center East and North Africa grew by 35% in 2021, making it the fastest-growing music area on this planet.

Moreover, some 95.3% of these revenues within the wider area in 2021 have been generated from music streaming.

Saudi Arabia, one of many key music markets within the MENA area, boasts a inhabitants measurement of an estimated 35.95 million and an web penetration fee of a whopping 98% of that complete inhabitants measurement.

The nation can also be residence to outstanding Arabic music firm Rotana, which is claimed to be the biggest file label within the Center East, and has not too long ago struck licensing offers with TikTok and Spotify.

Saudi Arabia’s mature digital footprint and lively home music market arguably make it a perfect location for a MENA-focused music trade convention, hosted within the type of the XP Music Futures occasion, the second version of which was held in November 2022.

“Saudi Arabia is presently experiencing an unbelievable transformation,” says Nada Alhelabi, Technique Director at MDLBEAST & XP Music Futures Program Director.

Alhelabi explains additional that Saudi Arabia’s music enterprise beforehand operated beneath the radar of the worldwide music trade, however that Saudi-based music and leisure firm MDLBEAST goals to alter that by turning XP, and its different operated occasions, into key fixtures on the worldwide music occasion calendar.

“Beforehand, our music group might solely thrive underground, however now we’re internet hosting main worldwide and regional artists and festivals with 1000’s of attendees,” explains Alhelabi.

“XP Music Futures is our effort to deliver collectively music trade [professionals] to community and collaborate.”

“Saudi Arabia is presently experiencing an unbelievable transformation.”

Nada Alhelabi, MDLBEAST & XP Music Futures 

MDLBEAST, the corporate behind XP, initially launched in 2019 as a music pageant known as ‘MDLBEAST Soundstorm’, which it claims on its web site “was a cultural catalyst for Saudi youth”.

The corporate has since expanded to comprise a file label, in addition to the XP Music Futures convention, which formally launched in 2021.

MDLBEAST’s SoundStorm Music Competition, in the meantime, held within the capital metropolis Riyadh, was headlined in 2022 by superstars like Bruno Mars, DJ Khaled and Put up Malone.

Trying to the long run, Alhelabi explains that MDLBEAST aspires to grow to be identified, not simply as an leisure firm, “however for growing the area’s music economic system and defining the subsequent technology of music and leisure”.

“We would like it to encourage future generations to think about a profession within the trade and promote music as a automobile for job creation and innovation, making it a sustainable trade from which they will develop and construct a powerful worthwhile work expertise,” explains Alhelabi.

Right here, Nada Alhelabi, Technique Director at MDLBEAST & XP Music Futures Program Director, provides us an perception into the corporate’s origins, its plans for the long run, and challenges and alternatives for the music enterprise in Saudi Arabia and the broader MENA area…

Inform us concerning the response you’ve had from the worldwide music enterprise to the XP Music Futures initiative over the previous two editions?

The suggestions has been extraordinarily optimistic. From the primary 12 months and now the second, all audio system, artists, and company expressed their curiosity in collaborating once more. Everybody noticed the potential in our youth and the limitless prospects in our nation. We’re a clean canvas and the sweetness is you can create and innovate a brand new trade and never make amends for what we’ve got missed. We give attention to being motion oriented by growing and implementing initiatives to help the expertise and scene, for instance, Xperform (aimed to find expertise throughout MENA), Xchange (workshops throughout the area that goals to attach the communities and remedy issues), and others. We additionally give attention to collaborations with key music industries and we succeeded this 12 months by doing so.

The 2022 version featured varied high-profile audio system together with David Guetta, DJ Khaled, Hardwell, Amy Thomson, and Mathew Knowles. Inform us concerning the significance of attracting such outstanding music trade figures to the speaker lineup?

Every year the suggestions from worldwide artists is fruitful and we’re seeing increasingly more artists from overseas eager to collaborate and converse at XP, which we love to listen to. By way of XP we’re capable of promote the area and speed up optimistic change in variety and gender equality by means of advocacy teams, analysis, and knowledge-led insights. The truth that so many worldwide artists and expertise want to get entangled solely cements our imaginative and prescient to develop the music trade and economic system.

What have been the largest highlights from the 2022 version?

We had limitless quantities of success and nice highlights this 12 months. From the preliminary planning phases of XP with the workforce to see the second version of the occasion that includes the best minds from the worldwide and regional music trade come to life has been essentially the most rewarding expertise. We had 200+ audio system, 80+ periods, 9 networking periods,  9 initiatives, 120+ music performances and 9 accomplice activations with limitless immersive experiences.

What have been a number of the key matters explored throughout the panel discussions and keynotes?

Now we have invited leaders and creatives from everywhere in the world. The occasion was designed for the musically-curious and musical masters to attach, and take part conversations, workshops, and experiences on tips on how to develop a thriving music scene. In a session known as Professional Xperience: Elyanna – Palestinian singer Elyanna spoke candidly about her skilled journey participating with the viewers in a extra intimate method because the session was within the format of a one-on-one dialog in Arabic, reinforcing authenticity and an unfiltered data change dialogue between speaker and viewers. Mathew Knowles, the architect of Future’s Baby and his daughters Beyoncé and Solange Knowles’ early solo careers did a session titled The Fundamentals of the Music Trade In A Digital Age, the place he supplied tricks to regional expertise on tips on how to breathe life into their music and leisure profession, and guarantee a powerful basis is constructed for long-term success. Globally acknowledged former supervisor of the Swedish Home Mafia, Amy Thomson additionally hosted a session titled Truthful Pay & Truthful Play: Understanding Music Royalties, wherein she educated up-and-coming musicians about their rights concerning streaming royalties.

How has the occasion advanced since its inaugural outing in 2021?

What made this 12 months totally different,  we’ve got expanded our Day and Nite applications and included new session codecs: networking, demo periods, Arabic periods and extra interactive experiences, permitting unfiltered dialogue between the speaker and viewers. We need to consistently develop and develop our choices to amplify the music tradition within the area.

What can we anticipate from the 2023 occasion, when it comes to scale, line-up, format, and many others?

This 12 months we’re specializing in development and partnerships. Our goal is to consistently evolve. Now we have a fantastic alternative to proceed rising our group and switch it into one thing which drives cultural and financial change. We’re aiming to take Xchange (our cellular workshops to new cities), construct new initiatives associated to expertise administration and girls empowerment.

In accordance with the IFPI, recorded music market revenues within the MENA area grew by 35% in 2021 – the fastest-growing area on this planet. What are your predictions for the area over the approaching years?

We hope that after these huge achievements, the final Arab public feels much more assured in placing their belief in us to regulate the continued development of the music scene within the area. We hope that they consider in MDLBEAST’s objectives and that they assist us transfer in direction of that purpose.

Along with the youth we intend to proceed to construct the music scene. I predict that the area will grow to be the pioneer within the music trade, by exporting skills, increasing on stay occasions, innovating in train and grow to be one of many prime in music consumption.

What are the largest music trade challenges in Saudi Arabia and the broader MENA area presently?

Illustration within the trade could be a problem. I see the necessity for equal alternatives and it’s a precedence for us. The music trade goes by means of unprecedented change within the Center East and globally – ladies should be part of it. The world over feminine producers, artists and creatives are underrepresented and the variety of ladies in govt roles within the trade can also be not substantial.

Whereas there’s positively extra consciousness of this now, and focus to make sure truthful illustration between women and men by totally different trade gamers, we have to put our efforts to proceed to facilitate, encourage and push the agenda. It’s a strategic precedence for us to develop the trade within the area in a balanced and truthful approach. Throughout this 12 months’s XP, ladies in music was considered one of our key matters inside which our knowledgeable audio system mentioned some great benefits of feminine illustration and having a various music trade.

Whereas there’s a whole lot of work to be performed, there has by no means been a greater time for us to maneuver the music infrastructure ahead with a agency give attention to feminine development within the trade.

What are your ambitions for the XP Music Convention over the approaching years?

We goal to amplify the music tradition within the area. There has at all times been a bustling inventive scene in Saudi, so for many individuals, the fervour for music has at all times been current. Our imaginative and prescient at MDLBEAST is to develop the music trade and economic system each within the Kingdom and outdoors the area. I envision XP to grow to be the platform of discovering the subsequent expertise, connecting the music world, pushing the laws, constructing the scene, and innovating in all points of the music ecosystem.  I’m enthusiastic about what’s to come back!

Music Enterprise Worldwide