WTDaBuzz regional market analysis · Middle East and North Africa · 17 October 2026
A market dominated by streaming requires a clear explanation of how a music business participates in that value chain. Regional growth alone does not identify the customer, service or rights position on which an individual operator depends.
IFPI’s March 2026 global report announcement records 15.2% growth in MENA recorded-music revenue for 2025, with streaming accounting for 97.5% of the regional total. The report’s category and geography should remain attached to those figures.
Locate the company’s role
A label, a distribution service and a production company can all serve a streaming-led music market while selling different things. A market-entry memo should name the proposed service and who would pay for it.
The next step is to identify the relationships and information the operation needs. A broad statement that streaming is important does not explain whether the company can secure the relevant catalogue, deliver the service or obtain useful commercial reporting.
Examine local requirements through a real project
A defined release or service pilot gives prospective partners something concrete to assess. It can reveal language needs, materials, scheduling and the creative judgment required for the intended audience.
The regional label should not replace country-specific investigation. A business must confirm the conditions relevant to its chosen markets and its actual activities rather than treat MENA as one uniform product environment.
Keep the assessment connected to controllable inputs
The pilot can track the work completed, relevant audience signals and the commercial information available through the company’s arrangements. Assumptions about receipts or future demand should stay distinct from observations.
That structure makes it easier to identify what the next investment in research or operations should resolve. A regional statistic is most useful when it leads to a specific question the business can investigate, rather than a revenue target copied from a market-wide percentage.
Scope: IFPI data concern 2025 recorded music, not all music-related activity. Business implications are original analysis. Featured image: illustrative concert audience, Tijs van Leur / Unsplash, standard Unsplash License; not identified as a MENA venue or performance.