As part of Spotify’s efforts to bring greater transparency to the music industry and the streaming economy, it unveiled its newly released Loud & Clear report — shared for the first time in Egypt, which aims to present how artists are benefiting from streaming, and how local sounds are resonating far beyond national borders.

Held at Kamelizer Studio on June 21, with Billboard Arabia as the official media partner, the event brought together key voices from across the regional music industry to host panel discussions on how streaming is shaping the future of Arabic music — with a special focus on Egypt’s fast-evolving scene.

The report offered an in-depth look at music streaming economics, breaking down the growth of royalties, where they come from, and how they are distributed.

It also highlighted how independent artists are leading Egypt’s music movement and how Arabic-language music is gaining unprecedented global traction. Alongside these insights, the report revealed other key trends shaping the way Egyptian artists are building audiences and careers in today’s streaming-driven landscape.

Here’s a closer look at the key insights from the report:

Royalties Earned by Egyptian Artists Grow Fivefold Since 2022

According to the report, royalties earned by Egyptian artists on Spotify increased 5 times since 2022, with a 100% raise between 2023 and 2024 alone. This growth highlights the listeners’ increasing engagement with Egyptian music, and positions streaming as a key source of income for artists. 

It also “Signals a real shift in how artists are building audiences, careers, and cultural impact”, as mentioned by Mark Abou Jaoude, Spotify’s Head of Music for the Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan. “Streaming is playing a key role in that transformation, creating new ways for artists to be heard and discovered, both locally and globally” he adds. 

Independent Artists Take the Spotlight 

Independent artists and labels are driving Egypt’s music scene, claiming over 90% of royalties earned by Egyptian artists in 2024 — one of the highest shares globally. 

Genres that were once underground, like Mahraganat and Egyptian hip-hop, have reached the mainstream, dominating the country’s streaming charts. Fueled by raw, local creativity and artist-owned innovation, these sounds are shaping Egypt’s sonic identity, and finding resonance with listeners from all over the world. 

Arabic Music Gains Global Momentum 

In 2024, Arabic ranked among the fastest-growing languages on Spotify, along with Greek, Telugu, Turkish and Polish. This surge highlights the global demand for regional sounds and, and marks Arabic-language artists as a rising force — with Egypt at the heart of this cultural wave.

Local Listeners Power Egypt’s Music Uprise

As Egyptian music travels the world, local listeners are tuning in like never before. Streams of Egyptian music on Spotify jumped over 70% in 2024, with local listening soaring nearly 450% since 2018. Impressively, over 80% of Spotify Egypt’s Daily Top 50 tracks were by Egyptian artists — a clear sign of the deep bond between fans and the country’s homegrown talent.

These insights align with the IFPI’s 2025 Global Music Report findings, which named the MENA region the fastest-growing music market in the world — further underscoring the region’s accelerating impact on the global music landscape.

Spotify’s Initiatives and Empowering Artists

Additionally, the report touched on initiatives like RADAR Arabia and EQUAL Arabia, and playlists like Fresh Finds Arabia, and how they are helping in spotlighting more young and upcoming artists in the region. 

Finally, it touched on how tools like Spotify For Artists empower musicians by providing real-time insights on their audience, helping them track their trending music and how to capitalize on it, in addition to enabling them to grow their reach globally. 

As Egyptian music continues to rise, the Loud & Clear data offers one thing with certainty: the future of music is no longer shaped solely in industry capitals — it’s being written in real time from Cairo’s bedrooms, studios, and street corners.