How to Start a Wholesale Recorded Audio & Video Business with Meydan Free Zone

May 19, 2026

Last Updated on May 19, 2026

How to Start a Wholesale Recorded Audio & Video Business with Meydan Free Zone

Streaming was supposed to kill physical media. It did not. In 2025, U.S. vinyl sales surpassed USD 1 billion for the first time since 1983, marking the 19th consecutive year of growth, according to the RIAA¹. Globally, physical music formats generated USD 4.8 billion in revenue in 2024, per the IFPI². According to WebProNews, Blu-ray sales rose 15 percent year-on-year in 2025, driven by collectors and cinephiles pushing back against disappearing streaming libraries³.

Film Stories reports that the 4K UHD Blu-ray market grew 19.5 percent in the same year⁴. Per Amra and Elma, collectors now account for 40 percent of all DVD sales worldwide⁵. Gen Z is buying CDs and DVDs not as a substitute for streaming, but as a counterweight to it, turning physical media from a declining utility into a growing collector economy.

Sources: RIAA (2025), IFPI (2025), WebProNews (2025), Music Week (2025)

For a wholesale trader, this is not about betting against digital. It is about supplying the formats that digital cannot replace: limited-edition vinyl pressings, steelbook Blu-rays, collector's box sets, anime special editions, and catalogue reissues that command premium prices and move through specialist retailers, duty-free outlets, and online marketplaces.

The UAE's position as a tourism and retail hub amplifies the opportunity. Dubai Duty Free, Mall of the Emirates, and a network of specialist music and entertainment retailers serve a consumer base of over 12.5 million residents and 18.72 million annual visitors to Dubai alone. The Middle East and North Africa recorded music market grew 22.8 percent in 2024, the fastest of any region globally, according to the IFPI².

For wholesale traders importing and distributing vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, and other recorded media, the UAE offers access to a high-spending consumer base, a duty-free retail channel, and a regional market that is growing faster than any other in the world.

Who is this for?

Category	Scope
Vinyl and music media wholesalers	Traders sourcing vinyl records, CDs, and music-format media from record labels, pressing plants, and distributors for wholesale supply to music retailers, duty-free outlets, and online platforms across the UAE and GCC. U.S. vinyl alone moved 46.8 million units in 2025.
DVD, Blu-ray and film media distributors	Businesses importing DVDs, Blu-rays, 4K UHD discs, and box sets from film studios and boutique distributors like Criterion and Arrow Video for supply to entertainment retailers, rental operators, and e-commerce platforms.
Collector and specialty media traders	Operators trading in limited-edition pressings, steelbook releases, anime special editions, and catalogue reissues where scarcity, packaging, and collector demand drive premium pricing. Collectors account for 40% of global DVD sales.

Meydan Free Zone offers 100% foreign ownership, zero corporate tax on qualifying income, full profit repatriation, and a fully digital licensing process, giving recorded media wholesalers a cost-efficient base in a region where physical media growth outpaces every other global market.

4649.13 - Wholesale Of Recorded Audio And Video Tapes, CDs, DVDs

This activity includes the wholesale trade of pre-recorded audio and video media. You are buying and selling recorded music, film, and video content on physical formats in wholesale quantities for distribution to retailers, duty-free operators, and other traders.

The scope covers vinyl records (LP, EP, and singles), compact discs (CDs), DVDs, Blu-ray discs, 4K UHD Blu-rays, and other pre-recorded physical media formats carrying audio or video content. This includes new releases, catalogue titles, box sets, collector's editions, and special pressings.

Vinyl records	CDs and music formats	DVDs and Blu-rays	Collector and limited editions
LP, EP and single vinyl pressings	Albums, compilations and singles	Film, TV and documentary discs	Steelbooks, box sets and special pressings
Wholesale of vinyl records from major labels and independent pressings. Vinyl surpassed USD 1 billion in U.S. revenue in 2025, outselling CDs for the fifth consecutive year.	Import and distribution of pre-recorded CDs including albums, compilations, and singles. CDs remain a significant format, with 29.5 million units sold in the U.S. in 2025.	Trading in DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K UHD discs of films, television series, and documentaries. 4K UHD Blu-ray grew 19.5% in 2025 as collectors drive demand for premium formats.	Wholesale of limited-edition vinyl pressings, steelbook Blu-rays, anime box sets, and boutique label releases from Criterion, Arrow Video, and similar distributors. Scarcity and packaging drive premium pricing.
GLOBAL MARKET CONTEXT Global recorded music revenue reached USD 31.7 billion in 2025; physical formats grew faster than any other category according to the IFPI.	FORMAT TREND Vinyl has now grown for 19 consecutive years; more vinyl shipped than CDs for five straight years in the U.S., confirming a structural format shift.	CONSUMER TREND Gen Z and millennials are driving the physical media revival, treating discs and records as collectible objects rather than utility purchases. 35% of consumers say physical media feels like true ownership.	UAE MARKET CONTEXT The MENA recorded music market grew 22.8% in 2024, the fastest of any region globally; Dubai's duty-free and retail infrastructure serves 18.72 million annual visitors.

This activity covers the wholesale of pre-recorded media only. The category explicitly excludes wholesale of blank audio and video tapes, CDs, and DVDs. This category of wholesale trading also excludes the wholesale of radio and TV broadcasting equipment, and wholesale of office furniture. Manufacturing, pressing, or duplicating recorded media is a production activity which sits outside of this scope.

Selling recorded media directly to individual consumers through shops or online is retail trade which is also excluded.

The line of differentiation is clear. If you are importing pre-recorded vinyl, CDs, DVDs, or Blu-rays and selling them at wholesale volumes to retailers, duty-free outlets, or other traders, this is your activity. If you are pressing records, duplicating discs, wholesaling blank media, or selling to walk-in customers, it is not.

Third-Party Approval

‍No third-party approval is required for this business activity.

Anti-Money Laundering Compliance

‍This business activity is exempt from AML compliance requirements.

References

¹ RIAA — 2025 Year-End Recorded Music Revenue Report — https://www.riaa.com/reports/2025-mid-year-music-industry-revenue-report-riaa/

² IFPI — Global Music Report 2025 — cited via Variety (March 2026) — https://variety.com/2026/music/news/global-record-revenues-grow-to-31-7-billion-ifpi-2025-1236692531/

³ WebProNews — Blu-ray Revival in 2025: Sales Surge Amid Streaming Flaws — https://www.webpronews.com/blu-ray-revival-in-2025-sales-surge-amid-streaming-flaws/

⁴ Film Stories — The Physical Media Landscape in 2025 and Beyond — https://filmstories.co.uk/news/the-physical-media-landscape-in-2025-and-beyond/

⁵ Amra and Elma — Top 20 DVD Marketing Statistics 2025 — https://www.amraandelma.com/dvd-marketing-statistics/

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