Who Controls Playlist Access in the MENA Music Market?

Two Platforms, Two Starting Points

Spotify launched in the Middle East and North Africa in November 2018, running regional operations out of Dubai. Anghami, by contrast, describes itself as the first music streaming platform built for the MENA region, predating Spotify's regional entry by close to a decade. That sequencing shapes how each approaches playlist curation.

The stakes are real. IFPI's Global Music Report 2026 puts MENA recorded music revenue growth at 15.2% in 2025, among the fastest of any region globally, with streaming accounting for the overwhelming majority of it. In a market this streaming-dependent, editorial playlist placement functions as one of the few remaining forms of curated discovery.

How Anghami's System Works

Anghami accepts playlist submissions through the third-party platform Groover, and has built its regional identity around editorial expertise, positioning itself as a locally focused alternative with staff dedicated to Arabic-language discovery.

That specialisation shows up in its market position. An analysis of how Anghami held its ground against Spotify attributes its position to first-mover advantage and local catalogue depth rather than superior technology. The company's own Form F-1/A filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is the most reliable public document on its business structure, and is worth reading directly rather than through press summaries.

What Remains Undisclosed

Neither platform publishes the specific criteria its editorial teams use to select tracks for major regional playlists, and neither responded to a request for comment for this analysis. That opacity is not unique to MENA; editorial playlist selection at both companies has long been criticised industry-wide for lacking transparent criteria. But the stakes are arguably higher in a market this streaming-dependent, where a small number of curators may be making decisions that carry outsized weight for artists without marketing budgets.

The commercial context matters too: Music Business Worldwide has reported on Spotify weighing an acquisition of Anghami. If the region's two main editorial gatekeepers were to consolidate, the number of independent doors an artist can knock on would fall from two to one.

What Artists Can Actually Verify

What independent artists in the region can verify, rather than speculate about, is the existence of formal submission channels: Anghami through Groover, and Spotify through its own Spotify for Artists pitch tool, which functions the same across all global markets rather than offering MENA-specific access. Beyond those mechanics, the editorial decision-making at both companies remains a closed process.