Discussions involved reviving traditional Arabic music, and educating artists on industry challenges and social media platforms
On the second day, the participants discussed the role of platforms and local initiatives across the region in supporting local musical talent, the future of infrastructure investments to achieve sustainability in the music industry, in a session titled “Empowering Local Community” moderated by Nada Alhelabi, Strategy Director at MDLBEAST and the Director of XP Music Futures, including Eddy Maroun, Co-founder of Anghami, Arwa Al Ali, Counselor to the Ministry of Culture, and Nada Al-Tuwaijri, Co-Founder and CEO of Merwas.
The speakers engaged in a discussion on how to build a supportive environment for artistic creativity, developing record-labeling capacities to accommodate for the many talents in the Kingdom, navigating the success stories of Anghami and Merwas as models for regional initiatives that managed notable achievements.
The discussion highlighted how to create supportive spaces for artistic ideas, education, and production. Also, the keynote speakers discussed artistic, economic, and commercial challenges facing the music industry and educating talents on the gap between expectation and reality and differentiating the music scenes in the Middle East.
The XP Music Futures 2023 conference’s second day saw discussions on several topics, including Copyrights and Intellectual Rights in the Middle East, Decentralized Musical Platforms, and the important
Role of Publishing and Distribution Insights in the Region. as well as reviving classical styles of Arabic music, how can artists self-promote their artistic work, and the role of social media platforms in achieving that.
Day Two also included talks about different topics, like hearing health, and “Breaking Barriers: Unpacking the Rising Sounds of Africa”. The XP audience then passionately interacted with a session on ‘How To Make A Hit that lasts forever’ with Musician and Singer Hamid El Shaeri and Abyusif, followed by exploring Balqees Fathi’s journey to stardom in a session moderated by Rami Zeidan.
Music Commission led a panel discussion on the creative economy in Saudi Arabia upon the rising prospects for serious careers in artistic fields, and the important role of artists in building a sustainable future for the industry. The Music Commission also held various workshops on music education and training, traditional heritage in modern Saudi music, and business networking.
After sunset, the XP Nite program began with multiple concerts and live performances of various music genres featuring many talents and star names including: DJ Michelle, NightShift, Block Party, Madhaūs, with a special concert by the Saudi Nactuary and France’s Youaku Record Store.
XP Music Futures 2023 kicked off yesterday and continues till 9 December with workshops and daily learning experiences from 12 PM to 7 PM with various performances in the Nite program from 8pm until 2am.