Spotify announced that it paid out over N25 billion in royalties to Nigerian musicians in 2023. This staggering figure represents a doubling of the amount paid out in 2022 and a remarkable 2,500 per cent increase since 2017.
Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Spotify’s managing director for sub-Saharan Africa, revealed these figures in the company’s annual report, titled “Loud & Clear.” The report aims to increase transparency in the music industry by sharing data on Spotify’s royalty payments and breaking down the global streaming economy.
Muhutu-Remy further disclosed that the number of Nigerian artistes earning over N10 million in royalties quadrupled since 2018. More than half of these royalties went to independent artistes or labels, highlighting the democratising power of streaming.
“Spotify listeners discovered Nigerian artistés nearly 950 million times in 2023,” Muhutu-Remy stated, “and Nigerian artistes own over 80 per cent of the tracks featured on Nigeria’s daily top 50 chart.”
The significant growth in royalties earned by Nigerian artistes on Spotify’s platform is a testament to their talent, creativity, and global appeal. As a leader in the streaming economy, Spotify says it is committed to supporting African creators in making a living from their art and will continue to invest further in African artists to ensure this momentum continues.
While Afrobeats remains dominant, Nigeria’s music scene is undergoing a genre revolution. Spotify data reveals an increase in the popularity of local genres, with Highlife, Igbo Pop and Fuji experiencing significant increases in listenership. Top artistes in these genres include K1 De Ultimate, Umu Obiligbo and Phyno.
Men dominate listenership of local music genres like Fuji (85 per cent), Highlife (89 per cent), and Igbo Pop (81 per cent). However, Gen Z, aged 18 to 24, is the leading age group across all three genres, making up a significant portion of the listenership.
Cities like Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Katsina top the charts for streaming these local genres. The top five exported music genres from Nigeria include Afrobeats, Nigerian Pop, Afropop, Nigerian Hip Hop and Afro Rhymes and Blues.
