Nigerian Artists Pocket over $40 million on Spotify, Boosting Global Appeal of Afrobeats

Nigerian musicians earned more than ₦60bn from streaming on Spotify in 2025, equivalent to roughly $42.9m at current exchange rates, underscoring the rapid expansion of the country’s digital music economy and the growing global appetite for Afrobeats and Nigerian sounds.

The figures, disclosed in Spotify’s annual Loud & Clear report, paint a vivid picture of a market that is thriving at home and making waves internationally.

According to the report, revenue generated by Nigerian artists on Spotify rose by more than 140 per cent over the past two years, powered by both surging local consumption and stronger demand from listeners outside Africa.

In 2025 alone, Nigerian musicians were streamed 30.3bn times and accumulated 1.6bn listening hours. First‑time listeners discovered tracks by Nigerian artists more than 1.3bn times during the year, a 26 per cent increase on 2024.

Local music also dominated Spotify’s Nigerian charts, with Nigerian artists featuring on more than 80 per cent of the platform’s Daily Top 50 in the country. Meanwhile, local streaming of Nigerian music jumped by 170 per cent year‑on‑year, suggesting deeply rooted domestic support for homegrown talent.

Jocelyne Muhutu‑Remy, Spotify’s Managing Director for Africa, said Nigeria’s music scene continues to defy expectations.

“Nigeria’s music story continues to be one of creativity, innovation, and global cultural influence. What we’re seeing is a market where talent is not only reaching new audiences around the world but also building deeper connections at home,” she said.

Independent and Female Artists Drive Industry Growth

Nigeria’s music Queens. [Getty Images] Nigeria’s music Queens. [Getty Images] BI Africa

Emerging and independent artists also saw major gains on the platform. Streams of Nigerian female artists increased by 55 per cent year‑on‑year, while those from independent artists grew by 75 per cent, underlining a broadening of the music ecosystem beyond established names. Independent musicians and labels accounted for about 58 per cent of all royalties paid to Nigerian artists on Spotify in 2025.

Spotify’s editorial team played a role in boosting visibility, with nearly 2,000 Nigerian acts added to curated playlists during the year. The data showed that Nigerian music was widely embraced globally, appearing in almost 320 million user‑generated playlists, alongside more than 12 million created in Nigeria. In total, over 60 million playlists featuring Nigerian artists were made on the platform in 2025.

The report also highlighted evolving listener tastes in Nigeria. Over five years, genres such as pop urbaine, alternative pop, anime, emo, and drill saw some of the fastest growth on Spotify, indicating audience interest moving beyond conventional mainstream tracks.

Spotify said its Loud & Clear initiative is part of a broader effort to increase transparency in music streaming economics and help artists, fans, and industry stakeholders understand how earnings and engagement are evolving in the digital era.