Last year, Golnar Khosrowshahi, the Founder and CEO of Reservoir, declared her intention to make the music rights company “the largest holder of Arabic music copyrights.”
On Wednesday (January 10), Reservoir took a significant step towards that goal: In conjunction with its MENA partner, PopArabia, the company announced a new music publishing deal with In2Musica, the label, publisher and production house of Lebanese pop star Nancy Ajram.
The deal includes Ajram’s entire owned catalog, as well as future works, Reservoir and PopArabia said in a statement.
The catalog includes Ajram’s global hit Sah Sah, with Marshmello, which in 2022 became the first Arabic-language song to enter Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Songs chart. It also includes hit albums such as Ya Tabtab and Nancy 10.
Dubbed “the Queen of Arab Pop” by Spotify, Nancy Ajram began her climb to fame as a child TV star, and released her first album at age 15. She has gone on to release 12 studio albums, and to build a reputation for herself as a businessperson.
Among her hit songs, 3am Bet3ella2 Feek, Ma Tegi Heny, and Badna Nwalee El Jaw all boast more than 100 million views on YouTube. Her songs have clocked more than 100 million plays on Spotify. In 2010, Ajram became the biggest-selling Middle Eastern female singer of the prior decade.
“Working with a global superstar of Nancy’s stature is a meaningful opportunity for Reservoir and PopArabia, as we continue to champion Arabic music locally in the Middle East, as well as across the globe.”
Golnar Khosrowshahi, Reservoir
Arabian Business magazine has added her to its list of Most Powerful Arabs several times, while Newsweek has dubbed her one of the most influential Arab singers.
“This deal marks a significant addition to our catalog of music rooted in the Middle East,” Khosrowshahi said in a statement. “Working with a global superstar of Nancy’s stature is a meaningful opportunity for Reservoir and PopArabia, as we continue to champion Arabic music locally in the Middle East, as well as across the globe.”
“Nancy Ajram is a household name in the Middle East, and with the combined expert creative forces of PopArabia and Reservoir, we look forward to helping carve out additional global opportunities for her while also supporting her career and music locally,” said PopArabia founder and CEO Spek, who also serves as Reservoir’s Executive Vice President of International and Emerging Markets.
Ajram said she’s “thrilled that In2Musica and I will be partnering with global companies like Reservoir and PopArabia, which have a history of advocating for artists’ rights and taking them around the world. We’re looking forward to reaching even more fans across the world with our music through this publishing partnership.”
Reservoir and PopArabia solidified their MENA partnership in 2020, when Spek – who had left PopArabia to work at Reservoir – returned to the company he founded in 2011 as part of a joint venture between the two companies.
The agreement saw him take on dual roles, heading up PopArabia while leading Reservoir’s international and emerging markets strategy.
“Nancy Ajram is a household name in the Middle East, and with the combined expert creative forces of PopArabia and Reservoir, we look forward to helping carve out additional global opportunities for her while also supporting her career and music locally.”
Spek, Reservoir/PopArabia
PopArabia continues to be supported by twofour54, Abu Dhabi’s media zone that has become home to the region’s entertainment and media industry, boasting more than 700 media companies, including CNN and Sky News Arabia.
Since the launch of the Reservoir/PopArabia JV, the two companies have concluded a number of deals, including the acquisition of Egyptian label 100COPIES, and the acquisition of Lebanese label and music publisher Voice of Beirut, both in 2022.
In 2023, the two companies acquired Cairo-headquartered content production and distribution company RE Media, as well as the master and recording rights for the catalog of Egyptian rap duo El Sawareekh.
“Expanding our portfolio in these important emerging markets, but especially within the Middle East, is highly important to our overall strategy and a key differentiator for us,” Khosrowshahi said on Reservoir’s Q2 2023 earnings call, in May of last year.
“With our network and ability to purchase content at attractive multiples, this region presents significant opportunity as we work to become the largest holder of Arabic music copyrights.”Music Business Worldwide
