Customer Reviews (500)

fadelg72 • 2025-03-25T12:46:02-07:00

The best of the best and cheaper then Apple Music Love it

Alzgh • 2025-03-05T07:30:57-07:00

Anghami just stopped streaming international songs in the USA, deleted all my saved songs without notifying customers, and is still charging the same subscription fee. I contacted customer service, but they were no help.

karma !! • 2025-03-04T05:27:05-07:00

Lyrics are wrong sometimes and not all artist r there

Summary of Key Insights

Anghami is a music and podcast streaming app with a strong focus on Arabic content. User sentiment is mixed, with a significant number of 5-star reviews praising its extensive Arabic music library and personalized features, but also a considerable number of 1-star reviews highlighting issues with subscription models, intrusive advertising, content availability (particularly international music), and app functionality. A recent shift towards a more restrictive free version, content removal, and technical issues seem to be driving negative sentiment. The app is perceived as superior for Arabic music compared to global competitors, but needs improvement in user experience, subscription clarity, and content licensing.

  • Overall Rating: 3.6 stars (calculated from the review distribution)
  • Strengths: Extensive Arabic music library, personalized recommendations, user-friendly interface (when functional).
  • Weaknesses: Aggressive advertising, unclear subscription model, content availability issues (especially international music), technical glitches, and perceived limitations on the free version.
  • Sentiment: Mixed, with strong positive sentiment from long-time users focused on Arabic content, offset by increasing frustration related to monetization strategies and functionality issues.

Quantitative Metrics:

  • 5-star: 51.4%
  • 4-star: 10.6%
  • 3-star: 6.4%
  • 2-star: 5%
  • 1-star: 26.6%

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, but likely a recent snapshot given the mention of recent updates and events in the reviews.
  • Analysis Methods: Manual review and thematic analysis of the provided reviews. This included sentiment identification, keyword extraction (e.g., "ads," "subscription," "music quality"), and frequency analysis of recurring issues and feature requests.

Key User Pain Points

  • Intrusive and Excessive Advertising: Many users, particularly those on the free tier, complain about the frequency and intrusiveness of ads, making the app unusable.
  • Subscription Model Issues: Confusion and frustration regarding subscription costs, unexpected charges, and perceived value for money. Users report being forced into subscriptions, limitations even after paying, and difficulty canceling subscriptions.
  • Content Availability: Removal of international music and specific artists, particularly for users outside the MENA region, is a major source of dissatisfaction.
  • Technical Glitches: Reports of app crashes, login problems, issues with Apple CarPlay, and problems with shuffle/repeat functions.
  • Forced Recommendations: Users dislike being forced to listen to recommended songs instead of the ones they explicitly selected.
  • Sudden Shift to Subscription Required: Long-term users are upset that features previously available for free are now behind a paywall.
  • Poor Customer Service: Some users report unhelpful or unresponsive customer service.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Improved Apple Watch Integration: Specifically, the ability to download playlists for offline playback on Apple Watch.
  • Alexa/Google Home Integration: Users want to be able to control Anghami through voice assistants.
  • Improved Playlist Management: Bulk adding songs to playlists, easier organization.
  • Ability to Delete Recent Searches: Privacy concern.
  • Option to Select Preferred Payment Method: More flexibility in payment options.
  • CarPlay SharePlay Support
  • More Payment Options for Subscription
  • More Frequent and Faster Release of New Music

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Extensive Arabic Music Library: Widely praised as a key differentiator and strength compared to global competitors.
  • Personalized Recommendations: Many users appreciate the app's ability to suggest relevant music based on their listening habits.
  • User-Friendly Interface (when functional): Some users find the app easy to navigate and use, although this is contradicted by complaints about recent UI changes.
  • Offline Playback: The ability to download songs for offline listening is a valued feature (when it works as intended).
  • Lyrics Feature: Users appreciate having lyrics available.
  • Live Radio Feature: Some users enjoy the live radio functionality.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Address Subscription Issues: Provide clear and transparent information about subscription plans, pricing, and cancellation policies. Resolve issues with unexpected charges and ensure users receive the benefits they pay for.
  • Reduce Advertising Intrusiveness: Re-evaluate the frequency and intrusiveness of ads, particularly for free users. Consider less disruptive ad formats.
  • Resolve Technical Glitches: Prioritize fixing app crashes, login problems, Apple CarPlay issues, and other technical bugs reported by users. Thoroughly test updates before release.
  • Restore Content Availability: Investigate and address issues with missing international music and artists. Communicate clearly with users about content licensing restrictions.
  • Stop Forcing Recommendations: Allow users to listen to the songs they choose without being forced to listen to recommended songs first.

Medium Priority:

  • Improve Customer Service: Provide timely and helpful responses to user inquiries.
  • Enhance Apple Watch Integration: Add the ability to download playlists for offline playback on Apple Watch.
  • Implement Alexa/Google Home Integration: Enable voice control through popular smart home devices.
  • Improve Playlist Management: Implement bulk adding songs to playlists.
  • Refine Recommendation Algorithm: Improve the accuracy and relevance of music recommendations, allowing users to further refine their preferences.
  • Add a Delete Recent Searches Feature: Implement a feature to delete recent searches to address privacy concerns.
  • Add More Payment Options: Provide more options to subscribe.
  • Improve User Interface: Based on the reviews, the user interface needs some improvements, such as a smoother experience, especially on Apple TV, and make the shuffle and repeat options more easily accessible on CarPlay.

Low Priority:

  • UI Customization: Allow users to customize the app's appearance (e.g., themes, logo).

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • AI-Powered Music Curation Platform: A platform that uses AI to create highly personalized playlists based on user preferences, mood, and activity, focusing on niche genres or cultural music not well-served by mainstream services.
  • Subscription Management Service: A service that helps users manage and optimize their various subscriptions, identifying potential savings and simplifying the cancellation process.
  • Ethical Advertising Network for Music Apps: A network that connects music apps with advertisers who prioritize user experience and avoid intrusive ad formats.
  • Global Music Licensing Solution: A platform that simplifies the process of acquiring music licenses across different regions, enabling music apps to offer a wider range of content to users worldwide.

Trends and Observations

  • Language Preferences: A significant portion of reviews are in Arabic, indicating a strong user base in Arabic-speaking regions.
  • Shift in Sentiment: A noticeable increase in negative sentiment in recent reviews, primarily driven by changes to the free version, content removal, and technical issues.
  • Geographic Differences: Some users outside the MENA region report issues with content availability, suggesting potential geographic restrictions.
  • Long-Term User Dissatisfaction: Many long-term users express disappointment with recent changes, indicating a potential loss of loyal customers.

Conclusion

Anghami has a strong foundation with its extensive Arabic music library and personalized features. However, recent changes to its monetization strategy, content availability, and app functionality are negatively impacting user sentiment and threatening its competitive position. To regain user trust and continue to grow, Anghami needs to prioritize addressing the key pain points identified in this analysis, particularly those related to advertising, subscription models, and technical glitches. By focusing on improving the user experience and providing clear value for money, Anghami can solidify its position as a leading music streaming app in the region and beyond. Overall, a strong recommendation would be to revisit the monetization strategy and prioritize user experience over short-term revenue gains.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anghami-play-music-podcasts/id545395155?uo=2