Spotify’s next wave of global expansion may come in November with the Middle East and North Africa, according to a report by Gulf News, based on a leaked internal company email. “A senior media executive is quoted describing how Spotify is looking for six brands to advertise, at a cost of $200,000 each, ahead of the platform’s November launch,” reported the news site. This isn’t really a surprise: Spotify has been recruiting in the Middle East since earlier this year, and already has an office in Dubai.
Apple Music and Deezer are already live in the region, with Deezer’s $185m funding round this summer including investment from Saudi Arabian investment fund Kingdom Holding Company and media firm Rotana Group, with the latter’s label arm signing an “exclusive” distribution agreement with Deezer. Local streaming service Anghami already has more than 60 million listeners too.
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Tools: Kaiber
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