Deezer’s recent hiring trend shows an increase in tech teams, media and editorial staff, and business development leaders across 14 of its 20 offices worldwide, according to the job analytics database by GlobalData. The leading data and analytics company notes that Deezer’s move is to maintain market presence and promote and develop new business/product lines such as audiobooks and innovative podcasts. The company is also focusing on the Europe, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and Latin America (LATAM) markets to increase its user base and build brand awareness and market share.

Ajay Thalluri, Business Fundamentals Analyst at GlobalData, says: “Around 42% of Deezer’s total job postings between January 2020 and May 2021 were for software engineers and web developers, as the company seeks to build mobile and web applications. Interestingly, around 25% of listings between January 2020 and May 2021 relate to managing artists’ relations, partnerships and building editorial staff for content production.”

Deezer is hiring for a global payment partner manager for easy payment solutions and a global head of podcasts for overseeing the company’s production strategy and develop innovative podcast formats. Deezer is launching an audiobooks app globally after successfully experimenting with the product in Germany in September 2020.

Thalluri continues: “Deezer’s media and acquisition manager position in Europe, Africa and Asia (EAA) shows that the company is building a tailored plan to grow and engage both free and paid user bases through digital channels. Additionally, for Eastern European countries such as Serbia, Croatia, and Bulgaria, Deezer looks to create and execute an editorial strategy for local content creation.”

For LATAM, especially in Brazil, the company is partnering with companies across telecommunications, media, finance, retail, cable TV, mobile telephony and e-commerce industries. Deezer is also hiring in Beirut and Egypt, and is partnering with musicians and labels for artist development to maximize user engagement.

Thalluri adds: “Interestingly, in the MENA region, Deezer is acquiring a wide variety of high-quality content to launch new music catalogues for local audiences, especially for Dubai and Turkey. Job postings show that, besides working with local producers to source original podcasts, the company is engaging with online and offline media partners to grow its free and paying user base.”

According to GlobalData’s Financial Deals database, the company raised $600m funding between 2016 and 2020. Deezer is fuelling development of its music streaming services in MENA. The company has acquired MUGO, Inc., an Israeli social music application company. An investment of $266.7m in 2018 by Saudi Arabia Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding Company was the highest since incorporation in 2007.

Thalluri concludes: “Deezer is focusing on local content partnerships, and customer base. Hiring across its offices could increase as the company looks to offer more programmed experiences to grow beyond its 16 million users. Its recent acquisition, Mugo, Inc., has patented technologies for synchronized playing of a streamed media item on multiple remote devices.”