I have an iPhone and it’s my lifeline – part personal assistant, part diary, and part radio. Yep, my iPhone is my personal jukebox. Whether I’m shopping in Waitrose or in route to a Rooftop Rhythms event, I convert my iPhone into a handheld radio. I no longer tolerate redundant car insurance commercials because my phone plays only what I want to hear whenever I want to hear it. After all, we all want access to our favourite music – any time, any place. Commercial radio is a great way to hear a variety of music, but most times the songs I want to hear aren’t playing on Radio1UAE or Virgin Radio. They are actually right at my fingertips.
Ever heard of ‘music streaming’? By now, you’ve probably heard the term mentioned by Apple CEO Tim Cook or pop star Taylor Swift. The growing global interest in music streaming has increased tremendously in the past 5 years. With over 70% of the UAE population using mobile phones this year, mobile streaming will become more popular than ever. With music streaming, companies can grow their market share, artists can gain more exposure and additional earnings, and customers can play the entire Coldplay catalogue offline and uninterrupted at 4:00 am. In a way, everybody wins. Music streaming for consumers is simple. All you need is a mobile phone, a data plan, and a pair of earbuds or headphones. Now that you know what you need, you need to know about the two music streaming services available in the UAE. Take a few minutes to read about Anghami, the UAE’s first legal music streaming service, and Apple Music, the UAE’s newest music streaming service. Spoiler alert: If you do not own an iPhone, your choice is pretty simple.
iPhone perks are plentiful and Apple Music is one of them. iPhone owners now have access to the newest music streaming service in the Middle East. Although Apple Music is not available for Android, Windows Phone, or Blackberry, the service has benefits like single and family plans, a sleek UI, and curated playlists. So let’s dive in.
After testing Apple Music for a week, I have to admit that I’m impressed, but slightly disappointed. The Middle East did not get Beats 1, which is Apple Music’s 24/7 radio station. Instead, what you’ll see as you log into your free 3-month membership account are featured radio stations like “The Mix Tape,” “Charting Now,” and “Pop Hits,” which play songs from different genres. There are also curated playlists from the Apple editors, DJs, websites like PopCrush and magazines like The Fader and Vogue. After sifting through the music search feature, I’m pleased with the range of music that popped up after my searches for Arabic and indie music. The interface is really easy to navigate. But I was curious about Anghami and how it compared to Apple Music. I downloaded Anghami a few weeks ago and I could not believe what happened.
I fell in love with Anghami. The service is dynamic and, apparently, over 13 million users agree. With 9 million international tracks, I won’t be at a loss for discovering cool music. Through a partnership with MBC, Anghami has exclusive Arabic content, covering shows like X Factor, The Voice, and Arab Idol. Anghami knows their audience and that’s the beauty of their service. The app is available on most platforms from Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry, and iOS. Quality is also a priority for Anghami. Their curated, high-quality music playlists are targeted to every MENA country with a focus on the differences in Arabic music. They span the gamut from pop, jazz, urban, electronic house, chill-out and more. The company also guarantees that customers will use less data than any other competing service. You won’t have to worry about exceeding your mobile data plan.
So which service is best for the MENA region? For the MENA region, Anghami’s service is the best. It’s affordable, with FREE accounts always available. Cross-platform accessibility, offline streaming options, and a planned roll out of cool features like exclusive music video clips by October 2015 are undeniably superior. Anghami has positioned itself to take on any competitor including Apple Music.
– By Jae Franklin | @jaefranklin
