UAE Ministry of Economy issues permit for Music Nation’s advanced platform to license, collect and distribute public performance and neighboring rights royalties

Music Nation Copyrights Management (Music Nation), a pioneer in music rights management in the United Arab Emirates, today announced the company received formal approval to license, collect and distribute royalties from public performance and neighboring rights, delivering a vital new source of revenue for music rights holders.

With best-in-class tools, technology and leading industry partnerships with Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI), the largest performing rights organization in the world, and SoundExchange Inc., the recording industry's top digital global collective management organization, Music Nation will be the industry's first rights management organization capable of natively collecting performance, mechanical and neighboring rights.

Music Nation is part of a broad UAE initiative to support the creation of a thriving music ecosystem and to elevate the region’s music industry by protecting the rights of music creators and compensating them for the commercial use of their work. This vital new source of royalty revenue in the UAE will help recording artists, songwriters, composers and others create sustainable careers and ensure music creators, labels, publishers and other music copyright owners, both local and international, are compensated for the use of their work.

“Today marks a pivotal moment for the UAE and Music Nation,” said Chairwoman Rasha Khalifa Al Mubarak. “After years of careful planning, Music Nation is positioned to become a cornerstone of music licensing, empowering the Emirates’ vibrant creative industry. As an Emarati, I am honored to establish a world-class music rights infrastructure that not only elevates local artists to greater heights, but also showcases our rich musical heritage and cultural traditions to the world. In partnership with industry leaders BMI and SoundExchange, our cutting-edge technology and services will protect music rights holders and propel the UAE’s music economy to new frontiers.”

His Excellency Abdullah Ahmed Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy, said, “The Ministry continues its efforts to develop an advanced system for the governance of copyright and related rights, based on global best practices. This is achieved by developing regulatory and legislative frameworks, stimulating investment in creativity, and supporting effective collective management systems that ensure the protection of rights and enhance the confidence of creators and musicians in the country's creative climate. The collective management license for music plays an important role in promoting a creative culture in society, providing comprehensive protection for the intellectual property rights of musicians and artists, and providing mechanisms to ensure financial justice for artists and creators in the distribution of revenues and transparency in the collection and distribution of copyrights. This supports raising the competitiveness of the music industry in the country and making it an attractive destination for creative and cultural works worldwide.”

Mike O’Neill, President and Chief Executive Officer of BMI, said, “We are thrilled to partner with Rasha, the Music Nation team and SoundExchange to ensure that music creators in the UAE have the opportunity to turn their passion into their careers by being paid for their creative work. BMI has always been an unwavering advocate for the songwriters, composers and rights holders behind the songs the world loves, and we’re excited to provide our music licensing infrastructure, expertise and deep experience fostering career development to benefit the region’s incredible creators. There are endless possibilities ahead that Music Nation will deliver, and we look forward to a bright future together.”

Michael Huppe, President and CEO of SoundExchange, said, “This is a major milestone and a vote of confidence from the UAE Ministry of Economy in the combined abilities of Music Nation, SoundExchange, and BMI. We’re excited to get to work establishing the region’s premier collective management organization and serving creators with the same level of excellence we have for more than two decades in the U.S.”

Music Nation will begin collecting royalties in the UAE for more than 2 million songwriters, composers, publishers, artists, sound recording owners and other music creators.

The UAE and the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remain the fastest-growing music market in the world, with the IFPI reporting the territory expanded in 2024 for a tenth consecutive year. Music revenue in MENA last year climbed by 22.8%, outpacing the global average of 5.9% growth.