- Over 13 shows are now available to listen to on Finyal Media’s platform
- The increase in downloads was spurred by a need for more immersive content by audiences and the uptake of podcast listening whilst spending more time at home
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 22nd February 2021: Finyal Media, a regional podcast network that focuses on storytelling podcasts to cater to young Arabs across MENA, has announced reaching a key milestone this month as the network hit five million downloads. Launching in 2019, the network’s most popular podcasts were found to be The Basement, Juha, Sindibad and 1001 Nights, with the fiction genre and adaptations of classic Arabic folk tales taking centre stage.
The podcast network saw a tremendous growth in 2020 and early 2021, as listeners looked to more immersive, escapist forms of entertainment largely due to spending more time at home with Covid-19 restrictions and the desire to spend less time staring at screens. This growth also came at a time when brands were, and still are, increasingly looking to invest in their own produced content and discovering audio can be not only more powerful, but also more cost-effective than video. Finyal’s focus on fictional storytelling and original content filled a gap that was otherwise empty in the market, in particular in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE.
With more than five million downloads, Finyal Media expects to see this momentum continuing into 2021. The network’s podcast audience grew more than 500% per cent in the past year, peaking in January 2021 with their highest number of downloads to date – an exceptional month which was helped by the successful launch of 1001 Nights season 4.
The hit Finyal Media show 1001 Nights is one of the most popular podcasts in the MENA region. The new series of 15 episodes launched in January 2021 with a new episode being released every other day until the end of February. The modernised Arabic folk tales centre on the infamous characters of ruler Shahryar and Shahrezade, combining timeless stories with layers of intricate sound scaping and dynamic voice acting to bring the stories to life. The scripts have been carefully crafted to cater to a contemporary audience, making this series truly relevant for today’s listeners. The latest season includes brand new stories such as Jameel and the Lovers and The Peacock, the Trumpet and the Horse, among many others for listeners to jump into.
Leila Hamadeh, Co-Founder and CEO of Finyal Media, said: “What we’ve created over the past two years has really resonated with audiences across the region and that’s exactly what we set out to do when we started in 2019 – grow a network of loyal fans who share the same passion towards storytelling as we do. We’re delighted that we’ve hit this milestone so early on in our journey and are seeing such a growth in our listenership. We look forward to the future of Finyal Media and are ready to bring even more exciting new shows throughout 2021 to our listeners – so stay tuned!”
As specialists in the storytelling podcast space, Finyal Media are experts in producing fictional series on the podcast format and focuses on bridging the gap in the market to create engaging, relatable content to connect with audiences. For 2021, listeners can expect exciting brand collaboration series, short stories that captivate the imagination and an all newنوماً هنيئاً (Sleep Tight) series, in partnership with Deezer, to help listeners listeners unwind and prepare for a good night’s sleep, amongst others.
Finyal Media’s podcast series are available on all podcasting platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Anghami and many more.
About Finyal Media:
Finyal Media (www.finyalmedia.com) is an award-winning podcast network which provides immersive audio experiences for young Arab listeners across MENA. The company’s mission is to tell stories that help young people reconnect with the Arab world. Finyal Media’s stories bring the region’s culture and heritage to life and range from adaptations of classic stories like 1001 Nights, Juha and Sindbad, which have been re-written for a modern audience, to historical narratives which look at the incredible stories of Arab cities.
Through their podcasts, Finyal Media reach young Arabs in a medium that is digital and on-demand. Their shows have become hit sensations with young audiences, having achieved over 5 million downloads in the Arab world and five #1 hits on the Apple Podcasts charts. Finyal Media was launched in 2019 by three podcast enthusiasts Mshari Alonaizy, Majid Al Qassimi, and Leila Hamadeh.