PopArabia launches new UAE-based music Rights Management Entity called ESMAA

By Emmanuel Legrand

PopArabia, the Abu Dhabi-based independent music company, is launching ESMAA, a new UAE-based music Rights Management Entity to facilitate music licensing in the Gulf region. 

  ESMAA, which translates to the Arabic word for “listen,” has already secured significant representation deals with rights societies such as the UK’s PRS for Music and Canada’s SOCAN to represent their repertoire in the region. Through those deals, ESMAA has access to 30 million musical works from over 150,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers respectively through these deals

  It has also sealed agreements to license UK record label Chrysalis Music and neighbouring rights company Global Master Rights, which is among the societies managing neighbouring rights acquired at the end of 2020 by peermusic. Global Master Rights represents over 300 record labels and more than 2500 performers, from Rihanna and Billie Eilish to Migos and David Guetta, among others.

A historic step forward for music licensing in the Gulf

 “We’re very pleased to have already begun working with rights holders to license music in the market and meet the needs of regional businesses who have been in need of a local solution," said ESMAA Founder and CEO Hussain ‘Spek’ Yoosuf. "After navigating music rights challenges in this region for many years, I can say with confidence that the work we are doing at ESMAA represents a historic step forward for music licensing in the Gulf.” 

  ESMAA will work with global rights holders and regional businesses "to provide Gulf markets with the ability to license music domestically for the first time." ESMAA has already begun developing a comprehensive music repertoire database for the Gulf territories.

  ESMAA has recently become a Client Rights Management Entity of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC). ESMAA’s status as a Client of CISAC marks the first and only time an organisation from the Gulf region has ever been able to benefit from CISAC’s technical tools and solutions for authors’ rights administration. 

Supporting the local music industry

  ESMAA is a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based PopArabia and a partner of twofour54, Abu Dhabi’s media and entertainment hub. PopArabia is a portfolio company of twofour54 and New York-headquartered independent music company, Reservoir Media Management.

  “Enabling content creation in Abu Dhabi and building the emirate into a leader within the creative industries is twofour54’s ultimate goal," explained Michael Garin, CEO of twofour54 Abu Dhabi. "Through our investment into PopArabia a decade ago, we have supported the local music industry and enabled home-grown artists. As the latest step in this journey, ESMAA will elevate music licensing in the region and place the emirate firmly on the global music stage.”

  Founded in 2011 by Yoosuf, PopArabia has grown into the leading music publisher and indie label in the Middle East through its own catalogue and as the sub-publisher major publishing houses such as Sony Music Publishing, BMG Rights, Kobalt Music Publishing, Songtrust, Concord Music Publishing, among others. In 2020, Reservoir entered into a joint venture with PopArabia to invest in the development of Arabic talent from the region.