Spotify Royalties to Nigerian Artists Climb Past N60 Billion in 2025

Nigerian artists generated more than N60 billion ($40 million) in royalties from music streaming on Spotify in 2025, underscoring the country’s growing influence in the global music economy and the expanding monetisation of digital platforms.
The figures were disclosed in Spotify’s annual “Loud & Clear” transparency report released in Lagos in mid-March 2026, providing one of the clearest snapshots yet of how Nigerian music is converting global popularity into revenue.
The report shows a sharp acceleration in earnings, with revenue from Nigerian artists on the platform rising more than 140% over the past two years. The growth reflects both increasing international demand for Afrobeats and related genres, as well as stronger domestic consumption driven by streaming adoption.
“What we are seeing is a market where talent is not only reaching new audiences around the world but also building deeper connections at home,” said Jocelyn Muhutu-Remy, Spotify’s Managing Director for Africa.
Nigerian artists recorded about 30.3 billion streams on the platform in 2025, translating into roughly 1.6 billion hours of listening time. Discovery also remained strong, with first-time listeners streaming Nigerian music more than 1.3 billion times during the year, a 26% increase from 2024.
Playlist activity further illustrates the scale of global reach. Nigerian artists were featured in approximately 320 million user-generated playlists worldwide, while more than 60 million playlists featuring Nigerian acts were created on Spotify overall. Within Nigeria, users alone created over 12 million playlists featuring local artists.
At home, Nigerian music continues to dominate listening patterns. According to the report, local artists accounted for more than 80% of tracks on Spotify Nigeria’s Daily Top 50 chart in 2025. Domestic consumption of Nigerian music on the platform rose by 170% year on year, highlighting strong local demand alongside international growth.
The data also points to diversification across genres. While Afrobeats remains the anchor of Nigeria’s global sound, Spotify identified pop, urban, alternative pop, drill, emo and even anime-inspired music as among the fastest-growing categories in the country over the past five years.
Industry structure is also evolving. Streams of Nigerian independent artists rose by 75% year on year, suggesting that digital platforms are lowering barriers to entry and enabling more creators to monetise without traditional label backing. Female artists are also gaining traction, with local streams of Nigerian women artists increasing by 55% over the same period.
The 2025 figures build on a strong upward trajectory. Nigerian artists earned more than N58 billion in Spotify royalties in 2024, more than double 2023 levels and roughly five times the total recorded in 2022, according to prior disclosures referenced in the report.
Exposure beyond Nigeria continues to expand. International streams of Nigerian music have risen steadily, supported by playlist placements and algorithmic recommendations. More than 1,900 Nigerian artists were added to Spotify’s editorial playlists in 2024 alone, marking a 33% increase from the previous year.
The report positions Nigeria as one of the fastest-growing music markets globally, driven by a combination of youthful demographics, mobile-first consumption and exportable sound. For Spotify, the data reinforces the commercial case for continued investment in African markets.
For artists and industry stakeholders, the numbers highlight a shift from cultural influence to measurable economic value. As streaming platforms deepen their footprint and monetisation improves, Nigerian music is increasingly becoming not just a global cultural force but a significant contributor to the digital economy.