Have you got the podcast X Factor? If so, Finyal Media wants to hear from you. The regional podcast network that focuses on storytelling podcasts to cater to young Arabs across MENA, has announced the launch of a unique competition that aims to support the region’s growing community. Launched to coincide with the announcement of ‘Finyal Studios’, which will become a virtual hub for Arabic podcast talent, the new competition will invite budding podcasters to submit their ideas for a new Arabic series that will then be developed by the experts at the network as it is brought to life.
The podcast series – which will need to be in Arabic – can be based on any subject matter that caters to the interests of those living in the region, and the winning creators will then work with the team to see their ideas developed, with the eventual series being released across all podcasting platforms in the region under Finyal Media’s umbrella.
The competition is now open for entries. It was launched to cater to the growing requirement for content to be developed from the region by the region for the Arabic community. Commenting on the launch of the initiative, Mshari Alonaizy from Finyal Media said: “We wanted to launch Finyal Studios in an innovative way, and as we are creating a hub for Arabic talent to come together and bring their ideas to life, we thought it would pave the way for us to launch a competition to find the best in class Arabic talent from the region. ”
“There is a vast amount of fantastic Arabic storytelling talent out there, and whilst they have the ideas and creativity, they may not have the tools or knowledge to bring them to life. With the launch of this competition – and in turn Finyal Studios – we aim to provide an outlet to help tell some of the inspiring stories of people from the region, via the local language in which they speak.”
To kick off this new initiative, Finyal Media are calling for aspiring podcasters to submit their ideas for an Arabic language podcast to be included in the network. To enter people will need to submit their audition online at www.finyalmedia.com/finyal-studios by 14 September. At the end of September, the winners will be announced and pilot episodes will be produced. We can expect to see a full roll out of the first episodes from Finyal Studios by October.
“Ultimately our aim is to provide a network of podcasts that caters specifically to the Arabic community, as we know there’s a huge opportunity to provide more of a voice for those that live in the region through compelling audio content that is relevant and authentic,” Leila Hamadeh added.
Finyal Media has been operating since 2019 and also counts 1001 Nights, Juha and Ismi Mecca as part of its network. The news comes following the announcement of major plans for the podcast network this year, which includes the launcs of several new series, including The Basement, a brand new mystery thriller which is the first original drama series produced on podcast for the Arab world.
