For our partners, Qanawat is the gateway to a myriad of content genres, both local and international. As we draw from a huge portfolio of over 200 content partners including Sony, Universal, EMI, Funoon Al Jazeera, Al Takamul, A.R.M., Mazzika and Arabica, we are also working to constantly update our vast pool of knowledge regarding the needs of even the most nuanced markets and secure exclusive distribution rights annually for top artists.
Local expertise
An in-depth understanding of the suitability of content empowers our partners to be able to tap into the needs of their subscribers in markets that are demographically and linguistically diverse. This is where Qanawat’s local insight comes in.
We maintain pro-active, closely managed relationships with an array of local and international content providers and producers. We have a critical eye on local market trends and demands, up-and-coming talent and top sellers. This knowledge benefits our partners as quality content generates revenue and their service offerings are perceived to have a higher value by their subscribers.
Securing exclusivity of top sellers
Qanawat secures deals with top regional artists on an annual basis, with exclusive distribution rights across all digital platforms. Examples of some of the exclusivity deals we have obtained include:
- Nancy Ajram (Ainy Alaik/2010 album)
- Tamer Hosni (Ha3eesh Hayati album)
- Hani Shakar (Baadak Maleesh album)
- Asala Al Nasry (Qanoon Kefak album)
- Salah Bukhatir (all content)
- Saad Al Ghamdi (all content)
- Ahmed Helmi (Aswath 3asal Eswed movie content)
- Rashid Al Majid (singles)
Multiple content types & channels
Qanawat’s various content types include:
- Music - Full tracks (in various formats, e.g. MP3), RingBackTones, ringtones, audio streaming, Background Music (a relatively new development whereby subscribers are able to insert music and/or sound effects of their choice during the duration of a voice call), etc
- Islamic content - Duaa, Athkar, Anasheed, etc
- Poetry - modern Arabic poems and Shallat
- Videos – video clips, mobile TV, video streaming, etc
- Apps – for BlackBerry, iPhone and Android
- Games – Java, 3D, Multiplayer, etc
- Information – recipes, celebrity gossip, alerts, messaging, news etc
This content is distributed through the relevant channels including SMS, MMS, USSD, web, WAP and Interactive Voice Response (IVR).
Our processes
Our content aggregation processes cover the following main activities:
Content partners management
Content is our department. As an authority on the needs of subscribers within each market, we stay abreast of new releases and upcoming talent, pro-actively sourcing the latest content.
As the music industry evolves with the constant injection of new talent, so we are consistently able to identify and select new providers and content owners. We work collaboratively with our partners to source marketing material for campaigns. It is important for Qanawat to maintain follow-up relationships with our content providers so that our partners can be assured of accountability and only the highest standards of service.
Contract management
One of the biggest benefits for partners is the fact that they no longer need to deal with multiple contracts for multiple content providers. Qanawat handles all contract negotiations, renewals and revisions with over 130 content suppliers, saving our partners a lot of inconvenience.
Copyrights management
Qanawat has extremely strict protocols in place for copyright management, making sure all paperwork is water-tight, so as to prevent any unwanted legal repercussions concerning distribution through our partners. In situations that may arise concerning discrepancies between authorised deliveries and the initial contractual agreement, it is our job not to release the content to our partners. We duly put contract amendments in place to secure copyrights for new albums and artists, as well as being concerned with the detection of copyrights violations from third parties.
Content delivery
Making full use of our industry knowledge, we source the most profitable content types within niche demographics and deliver on agreed frequencies to our partners.
Our highly efficient service extends to:
- Moderation of content;
- Categorisation (cataloguing appropriate to genre);
- Formatting (conversion into the necessary file formats);
- Quality assurance (whereby sound quality, correct format and metadata are checked);
- Upload to the mobile operator platforms (sometimes, to more than one platform).
Reporting & payments
Qanawat generates monthly reports specific to each content provider, as well as sending these to them to facilitate constant constructive feedback. Periodical evaluations based on performance (content sales) are shared with our mobile operator partners.
We issue payments directly to content providers, so that there is no need for our partners to have any engagement with them.
Content categories
We offer content from a considerable range of categories and languages:
- Islamic - Duaa, Athkar and Anasheed
- Arabic - Khaliji, Levant, Egyptian, Romance, Classics, Comedy, Chaabi/Rai (North Africa)
- Poetry - Modern Arabic poems and Shallat
- Bollywood - Movie soundtracks
- Asian - Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali, Punjabi, Pakistani, Marathi, Telugu, Farsi, Filipino, Instrumental
- Western - Pop, Rock, Rap, HipHop, R&B, Soul, School, Bands, Techno, Dance, Children's Music, Instrumental, Reggae, Soundtracks, Jazz, Blues, Country, Classical, HardRock, Metal
- Sports - Arabic and international
- International - Latino, French, Russian
- Miscellaneous - Nature sounds, special sounds, special events
Our team of content specialists master a wide range of languages including Arabic, English, Hindi, Urdu, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Tagalog, Bengali, Persian, Spanish and French.