SRMG, one of the largest global media groups in the Middle East, will solidify its presence at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity with some of the top names in the media and creative industry attending The SRMG Experience. SRMG will host a series of interactive panel discussions and intimate chats that will explore the biggest issues impacting the industry
DUBAI: “As we settle into the post-pandemic era, we see clear indicators that audio, in all its forms, has become a platform for self-expression for both artists and creators,” Claudius Boller, the managing director for Spotify in the Middle East and Africa, told Arab News. “Socializing through music will continue to see an uptick in demand,” he added, especially for younger
Instep Today
Sun, 05, 21
Technology has been playing a massive role in the life of artists and consumers. However, with the global pandemic affecting everything from local and global economies to cultural events to the loss of countless lives around the world and right here at home, live shows have diminished. A stricter lockdown is imminent.
“And over time we’ve learned from the past/That no man’s fit to rule the world alone.” – ‘Happy Nation’ by Ace of Base
Pakistan’s music scene has lacked a proper infrastructure since forever. Ask any two diametrically opposite artists and they will agree. This means music-friendly venues, piracy that still exists, the culture of free passes over buying tickets, exploitation of intellectual property rights and overzealous taxation by the government instead of subsidiaries. These are some of the issues that plague the music scene.
DUBAI: Spotify, which started as a small startup in Sweden, is now a leading audio streaming company across 178 markets.
The company recently posted financial results for the first quarter of this year, revealing that its monthly active users had grown by 24 percent year-on-year (YOY) to 356 million.
Audiences’ appetite for premium content had also grown as reflected in a 21 percent YOY growth in premium subscribers.
However, Claudius Boller, Spotify’s managing director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, told Arab News that the upsurge was not just about an increase in the number of users.
“It’s very much across the parameters of discoverability, experience, and engagement, and we are truly leading on the engagement side,” he said.