Saudi Arabia’s music sector has experienced a surge in streaming royalties and global audience reach, according to Spotify’s Loud and Clear analysis for the kingdom.
The statistics are part of Spotify’s first stand-alone report for the kingdom on the economics of streaming. The country-specific report notes that local artists earned more than 13 million Saudi riyals ($3.5m) in royalties on Spotify in 2024, a 76 per cent increase from the previous year and more than double the total in 2022.
The number of artists, not specified in the report, who generated more than 100,000 riyals annually has doubled since 2023.
The report also finds Saudi music is resonating outside the region, with more than 90 per cent of royalties earned by the artists coming from international markets, including the US, Brazil, India, Germany, the UK and France.
In 2024, Saudi artists were discovered more than 220 million times by first-time listeners worldwide, a 75 per cent increase from the previous year. Between 2022 and 2024, the total number of global followers of Saudi artists on Spotify more than doubled.
Consumption has also expanded at home and across Mena. Listeners in Egypt, the UAE, Morocco, Iraq and Jordan are among the biggest consumers of Saudi artists on Spotify. Streams of Saudi music in the kingdom have also grown by 195 per cent since 2020.
Saudi artists highlighted in the report include Ayed, who first built an audience at home before becoming one of the most streamed Saudi acts in Egypt.
Speaking to The National, Spotify’s head of music for the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, Mark Abou Jaoude, says Arabic is now one of the fastest-growing languages on the platform. “Streaming has removed the old linear path where you had to first succeed locally, then regionally, before thinking global. If your sound is authentic and rooted at home, the platform carries it East and West,” he says.
Abou Jaoude adds these data insights, available to artists through the Spotify for Artists function, help drive some of the main strategies behind their expansion and the kingdom’s musical footprint.
“Global success is about being intentional, paying attention to where the sparks are, and leaning into collaborations that take your music further,” he says. “The first step is to start with your data. Spotify for Artists shows not only where streams are coming from, but also which cities are really connecting with your music. I have seen artists plan whole tours just by following those insights. That is how numbers become real-world opportunities.”
Abou Jaoude points to singer Zena Emad’s collaboration with Norwegian EDM star Alan Walker, and Khaleeji tracks reimagined with Dutch DJs such as R3hab and Afrojack.
Akshat Harbola, Spotify’s managing director for the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, tells The National the report also dovetails with the platform’s work on the ground, with Spotify hosting residencies, workshops and marketing tools to help artists grow their fan bases.
“Every artist deserves the chance to be heard and to make a living from their art,” says Harbola. “The data is clear: artists active on Spotify are building lasting audiences and careers. We are proud to see this progress highlighted in the first Saudi Arabia Loud and Clear report, and we welcome all rights holders to join in building the kingdom’s music future.”
The Saudi findings confirm wider streaming trends.
The 2024 global Loud and Clear research showed how artists outside the mainstream are benefiting from shifts in the industry.
Music recorded in eight languages each generated more than $100 million in royalties, compared with only English and Spanish at that level in 2017. Independent artists and labels collectively earned more than $5 billion from Spotify in 2024, about half of the platform’s total royalties.
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s Global Music Report, released earlier this year, also points to streaming as the main driver of growth. It valued worldwide industry revenue at nearly $30 billion in 2024, with paid subscriptions reaching $20 billion for the first time and the Middle East and North Africa confirmed as the fastest-growing region globally.
