Universal Music Group has been on something of a spree of new label launches in recent times, with a particular emphasis on high-potential markets.
The latest example is Universal Arabic Music (UAM for short) which is going to focus on music from the Middle East and North Africa.
It’s a partnership between UMG and Republic Records on one side, and The Weeknd’s manager Wassim ‘Sal’ Slaiby, who also founded Salxco and XO Records, and is head of international partnerships at streaming service Anghami.
The new label has already signed its first artists, Jordanian musician Issam Alnajjar – currently riding a 3bn-views TikTok wave – and Palestinian-Chilean artist Elyanna. More signings are promised soon.
The Anghami connection may spark some debate though. Will other labels be worried about UAM’s artists receiving special treatment on that streaming service?
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