Saudi Music Commission publishes landmark study by Will Page mapping the Kingdom’s path to a world-class recorded music economy

Riyadh, September 30, 2025 

Building on new market sizing data and international benchmarks, the report projects that recorded music revenues in Saudi Arabia could reach USD 500 million within the next ten years, placing the Kingdom among the world’s top 20 music markets by 2034. This evolution would be underpinned by distinctive consumer advantages: a young and digitally fluent population, one of the world’s most dynamic social video ecosystems, and near-universal smartphone adoption. These factors are reinforced by strong household spending power and the government’s successful digital transformation agenda, which has positioned Saudi Arabia as one of the most connected societies worldwide.

Together, these conditions establish an addressable market of 25 million music consumers, including 10.8 million active iPhone users, which the study estimates can be translated into 8.7 to 10 million paid subscriptions by 2034. Such growth would not only transform the commercial landscape for music in the Kingdom but also deliver long-term cultural and economic dividends.

“This study gives us a quantified plan to turn listening into livelihoods,” said Paul Pacifico, CEO of the Saudi Music Commission. “By aligning policymakers together with creators, platforms, and investors, we can unlock a modern value chain where Saudi artists and rights holders thrive, and where culture and the economy move forward together.”

The report highlights practical pathways to achieve this vision, aligning with national strategies for sustainable growth. Key recommendations include expanding opportunities for paid streaming through telecom partnerships and family plans, strengthening local repertoire to meet rising demand for Arabic music, and advancing the establishment of a collective rights management organisation in collaboration with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property. Together, these measures would ensure that value flows efficiently through the value chain and is shared equitably between stakeholders, reinforcing the foundations of a world-class music economy.

"Saudi Arabia's music industry has all the right ingredients to reach half a billion dollars by the time the World Cup arrives in 2034: half the population is under 35, a third carry iPhones and everyone is using YouTube” Said the report’s author, Will Page. “It'll need train tracks, or essential copyright infrastructure, before the trains can run but, once in place, we could see as many as ten million music subscribers within the next ten years”

The report situates the Saudi music industry within a rapidly expanding regional context. According to global industry body, the IFPI, the MENA region was the world’s fastest-growing recorded music market in 2024, with local artists increasingly dominating global streaming charts. By scaling paid consumption and investing in homegrown repertoire, Saudi Arabia is set to catalyse a host of adjacent industries from live performance to content production, and deliver outsized cultural impact in line with national ambitions.