Are you a Saudi Raver, Nile River Rocker, Jumeirah G or Beirut Beacon?

Whether you’re a Fanatic, an Enthusiast, a Casual or simply an Indifferent, a ground breaking insights report from Sony Music Entertainment Middle East has identified the music consumption habits of the Middle East consumer in a first for the region. The year-long research study will offer never before seen insights into the music tastes, preferences and lifestyle choices of consumers of all ages across Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Lebanon.

Developed by the label over a decade ago, Sony Music’s Audience Segmentation has been launched in over 40 countries worldwide, uncovering the unique music and lifestyle insights of over a quarter of a million consumers everywhere from Mexico City to Melbourne. Over this time, Sony Music’s branded entertainment teams all over the world have used segmentation to help over 2,000 brands - including MasterCard, Coca Cola, P&G, H&M, Apple, Microsoft, Unilever and Puma - to use music to tackle business, brand and marketing challenges.

Sony Music Entertainment Middle East have funded and launched the region’s first Audience Segmentation study to fill an important gap – brand knowledge of exactly what music, artists, genres and tastes consumers response positively to. The results of the study, as well as the easy to use online Segment Explorer tool, will allow brands, agencies, content creators and media to understand more deeply how Arabic, International and Bollywood music can be used as a marketing and business tool.  

Almost 25,000 consumers aged 15-55 years old, from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt and UAE took part in the survey, answering a series of in depth questions covering their music preferences - artists, genres, songs – lifestyle preferences, media habits, brand preferences and thoughts on branded incentives and promotional tactics.  This psychographic and demographic profiling of Arab audiences has been divided into four key categories – the same categories that have governed every Audience Segmentation study since it’s inception 10 years ago, namely FECI (Fanatics, Enthusiasts, Casual & Indifferent).

Meet the FECI’s

• The Fanatics are, as expected, fanatical about their music. They make playlists and spend more time at gigs than at home.

• The Enthusiast is a far larger group in the region. Like most people their age, they like to party, meet new people and get most of their tips from their Fanatic friends.

• For the Casual, the hits are always a hit and they help chart toppers top the charts.  They spend, selfie and share but invest more in macchiatos than music.

• Finally, meet the Indifferent. They are not up to date with the latest artistes and would rather read about sports scores than band tours.

Mike Fairburn, General Manager, Sony Music Entertainment Middle East said, “We are obsessed with understanding and engaging with consumers through music; who is the typical regional music consumer, who do the love, who do they loathe, who do they follow and who will they move mountains to listen to. Our regional Audience Segmentation study now gives our team, our artists, our brand and agency network a deep dive into regional music habits. If music plays a part in your brand or company marketing strategy, our study will provide invaluable insights. No more finger in the air assumptions on what music really works.”.

Anna George, Senior Brand Partnerships Manager at Sony Music Entertainment Middle East provides a glimpse into a handful of insights that were uncovered:

• 60% of Teens in Lebanon are in love with Pop & Rock! More than any other genre.

• There is a segment of Saudi Ravers who love their electronic music, they make up 12% of the population and guess what? They are all females.  

• Jazz Music is more popular in the UAE then Rap and Hip Hop.

• If you are an extreme sports fan in Egypt, chances are you’re a fan of Rap music! The two seem to go hand in hand.

• Over 50% of Egyptian’s 15-25 year olds are using digital streaming platforms as their primary source of listening to music

• 55% of people in Saudi Arabia who use Facebook more than once a day are fanatic fans of Saad Lamjarrad! Clearly a link between Saad Lamjarrad, the youth of Saudi Arabia and social media.

• 33% of females in the UAE love dance music! Surprisingly, only 19% of Males in the UAE love the same music.

Whether a brand is seeking to secure a break-through sync license, create trend-setting merchandise, build cultural relevancy through creative advertising, or enhance their story with an iconic artist, Sony’s Audience Segmentation study has the ability to make it a reality. Whatever the business challenge or opportunity, music can be part of the solution and Sony Music’s services are ready to bring you the best.  

Discover how to leverage the power of music for your brand and better understand consumer’s music and lifestyle habits. Celebrate March Madness by booking a free demonstration with Sony Music and be on top of your marketing game. Contact Anna George at Sony Music ME for a consultation anna.george@sonymusic.com / http://www.sonymusic.me