Nigerian musicians pocket N60 billion from Spotify streams in 2025, according to latest findings

Nigerian artists raked in over N60 billion in revenue from Spotify music streaming in 2025, as revealed in the platform's annual Loud & Clear report, which sheds light on the economics of music streaming.

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This represents a significant surge, with earnings by Nigerian artists on Spotify growing by more than 140 per cent over the past two years, underscoring the country's music industry's expanding global reach and commercial strength.

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In 2025, Nigerian artists amassed 30.3 billion streams and 1.6 billion listening hours on the platform, a testament to their growing popularity.

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New audiences continued to discover Nigerian music, with artists being discovered by first-time listeners over 1.3 billion times, marking a 26 per cent increase compared to 2024.

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Spotify noted that these figures highlight a rapidly expanding music ecosystem where Nigerian artists are building international audiences while strengthening their presence at home.

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Local consumption of Nigerian music also experienced a sharp rise, with Nigerian artists accounting for over 80 per cent of tracks on Spotify Nigeria's Daily Top 50 chart in 2025.

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Furthermore, local streams of Nigerian music grew by 170 per cent year-on-year, demonstrating the genre's soaring popularity.

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Managing Director of Spotify in Africa, Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, commented on the development, stating that the data reflects Nigeria's growing cultural influence in global music.

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Muhutu-Remy noted that the Nigerian music story is one of creativity, innovation, and global cultural influence, with talent reaching new audiences worldwide while building deeper connections at home.

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The Loud & Clear report also highlights the different pathways artists are taking to build sustainable careers, while demonstrating the impact Nigerian creators are having on the global music landscape.

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Specific artist groups saw strong growth, with local streams of Nigerian female artists increasing by 55 per cent year-on-year, and streams of independent Nigerian artists rising by 75 per cent.

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Independent artists and labels played a significant role in the industry's revenue structure, accounting for about 58 per cent of all royalties generated by Nigerian artists on Spotify in 2025.

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Spotify's editorial playlists continued to drive artist discovery, with nearly 2,000 Nigerian artists added to these playlists in 2025.

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Globally, Nigerian artists were featured in nearly 320 million user-created playlists, while listeners in Nigeria created over 12 million playlists featuring Nigerian music.

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Overall, more than 60 million playlists containing songs by Nigerian artists were created on the platform in 2025, showcasing the genre's immense popularity.

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The report also revealed the evolving listening habits of Nigerian audiences, with genres such as pop urbaine, alternative pop, anime, emo, and drill recording the fastest growth on Spotify in Nigeria over the past five years.

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This indicates a more diverse and rapidly evolving music culture, with Nigerian artists dominating local listening charts while expanding their global footprint and generating increasing economic value through streaming platforms.