Sony Music Entertainment Middle East (SME) is launching a joint venture record label with prominent MENA focused music streaming service Anghami.
According to SME, the new label, Vibe Music Arabia, will “support the independent Arabic artist community” in Saudi Arabia, wider GCC and Levant.
This won’t be the first time that Sony has launched a label with a company that owns a music streaming service.
Sony also owns 50% of Liquid State, a joint venture dance label it launched with Tencent Music Entertainment’s majority parent, Tencent Holdings, in 2018.
In 2020, Liquid State hired Victor Lee as its new Managing Director, and said that it aims to become “the top electronic dance label” in Asia.
SME adds that the new Vibe Music Arabia label will act as a “creative, accelerator and educational hub to empower musicians, songwriters, producers, and content creators to tell their stories regionally and globally”.
“Through Vibe Music Arabia, artists, songwriters, and producers will have access to a range of opportunities to build their brand and reach in the Middle East, as the new label combines Anghami’s unique local insights, rich data and networks with Sony Music Entertainment’s global reach and expertise,” adds SME.
Rami Zeidan will be leading Vibe Music Arabia as General Manager.
He brings more than 15 years’ experience in cultural marketing, music, and entertainment, most recently as the head of TikTok MENA’s Video and Creative division.
Vibe Music Arabia will be working with Khaleeji Producer AbdulAziz Louise whose collaboration with Bader Al Shuaibi and Haneen al Kendari in “Bravo Aleih” achieved over 90 million views across all platforms, and over 200 million streams overall.
Rising Saudi talent Zena Emad will also be joining Vibe Music Arabia to work on her upcoming single.
“At Vibe, our approach is simple- to be a creative and enabling hub, and to build a dialogue within the community to teach, learn and help young talent grow.”
Rami Zeidan
Rami Zeidan said: “At Vibe, our approach is simple- to be a creative and enabling hub, and to build a dialogue within the community to teach, learn and help young talent grow.
“I am feeling super inspired by the region’s enabling ecosystem and the young talent that is coming from every corner. With the impact of digital streaming on the rise, our commitment is to foster this talent, and work hand in hand towards shaping a new era for Arabic music.”
“Vibe Music Arabia continues Sony Music Entertainment’s global focus and commitment to local language, domestic repertoire and communities.”
Shridhar Subramaniam, Sony Music
Shridhar Subramaniam, President, Corporate Strategy and Market Development, Asia and Middle East, Sony Music Entertainment, added: “We are thrilled to announce the launch of Vibe Music Arabia as a new label for independent Arabic artists – combining Sony Music Entertainment’s unrivalled regional teams with dedicated resources and Anghami’s best-in-class services and technology, to help foster long-term partnerships and deliver global success for the next generation of Arabic artist talent.
“Vibe Music Arabia continues Sony Music Entertainment’s global focus and commitment to local language, domestic repertoire and communities.
“We believe the creative, community-first leadership team led by Rami and his team are perfectly placed to nurture and develop more artist stories and music and I wish him all the best as he leads this new, independent label in one of the fastest growing regions.”
“We see so many talented artists and songs emerge daily from this region and believe there is a real opportunity for a boutique label to foster these fast-growing music communities and help develop their craft.”
Eddy Maroun, Anghami
Eddy Maroun, Co-Founder and CEO of Anghami, said: “At Anghami we are proud of our deep-rooted Arabic origins.
“We see so many talented artists and songs emerge daily from this region and believe there is a real opportunity for a boutique label to foster these fast-growing music communities and help develop their craft.
“Now is the perfect time for Vibe Music Arabia. The team is young and passionate, with a wealth of experience and creativity that will unlock the potential in the Middle East, enrich the independent music scene and most importantly, create original tracks for the whole world to enjoy.”
The launch of the new label follows the news in March that Anghami has entered into a definitive merger agreement with publicly traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Vistas Media Acquisition Company Inc.
The deal will result in Anghami listing on the NASDAQ in New York, with the combined company set to operate under the Anghami name and trade under the new symbol ANGH.Music Business Worldwide