ABU DHABI, September 2024 – ESMAA, an Abu Dhabi-based rights management entity representing global music stakeholders in the Gulf and Middle East, and Anghami (NASDAQ: ANGH), the leading music and entertainment streaming platform in the Middle East and North Africa region, announce a new music licensing agreement on behalf of independent music publishers.
This deal marks the resolution of a legal dispute between ESMAA (representing PopArabia and Reservoir) and Anghami, clearing the path for a new joint performance and mechanical licensing agreement based on global practices for representation, reporting, and claims.
ESMAA represents the repertoire of PopArabia, including the company’s Arabic music catalog and its global sub-published repertoire and represents the repertoire of IMPEL, the international collective of music publishers in this deal.
This partnership is the first of its kind between international independent music publishers and a domestic streaming service, reaffirming ESMAA and Anghami’s commitment to supporting the music ecosystem in the MENA region, ensuring fair compensation for songwriters, composers, and publishers while delivering exceptional value to consumers.
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About ESMAA:
ESMAA is a rights management entity dedicated to advancing the music and arts ecosystem in the Gulf region. ESMAA’s mission is to protect the rights of songwriters, artists, and rights owners by providing a solution to licensing their music in the Gulf and Middle East region. ESMAA has already licensed music in numerous public spaces, in the retail sector, and live events including Dubai EXPO; a 6-month cultural event hosted by the UAE in 2021 that included hundreds of music performances by acts including Coldplay and Nancy Ajram. ESMAA represents labels, PROs, music publishers, performers and composers in the Gulf region.
For more information, visit https://esmaamusic.com/
About Anghami Inc. (NASDAQ: ANGH):
Anghami is the leading multi-media technology streaming platform in the Middle East and North Africa (“MENA”) region, offering a comprehensive ecosystem of exclusive premium video, music, podcasts, live entertainment, audio services, and more. Since its launch in 2012, Anghami has led the way as the first music streaming platform to digitize MENA’s music catalog, reshaping the region’s entertainment landscape. In a strategic move in April 2024, Anghami joined forces with OSN+, a leading video streaming platform, forming a digital entertainment powerhouse. This pivotal transaction strengthened Anghami’s position as a go-to destination, boasting an extensive library of over 18,000 hours of premium video, including exclusive HBO content, alongside 100+ million Arabic and International songs and podcasts. With a user base exceeding 120 million registered users and 2.5 million paid subscribers, Anghami has partnered with 47 telcos across MENA, facilitating customer acquisition and subscription payment, in addition to establishing relationships with major film studios, entertainment giants, and music labels, both regional and international. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Anghami operates in 16 countries across MENA, with offices in Beirut, Dubai, Cairo, and Riyadh.