Spotify: Nigerian Artistes Rake in N25bn from Streaming in 2023

Spotify reveals a significant increase in royalties paid to Nigerian artists, with a 2,500% growth since 2017 and a doubling of payments from 2022. The platform's 'Loud & Clear' report highlights the democratizing impact of streaming, with over half of royalties going to independent artists or labels. Nigerian music genres like Highlife, Igbo Pop, and Fuji are experiencing a surge in popularity, with a diversification of musical tastes and a vibrant musical ecosystem.

Spotify, a leading online music streaming platform, announced that it paid out over N25 billion in royalties to Nigerian artists in 2023, a significant increase from the previous year.

According to Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, this represents a 2,500% growth since 2017, with a doubling of payments from 2022.

Muhutu-Remy highlighted that these figures are part of Spotify's 'Loud & Clear' annual report, which aims to promote transparency in the music industry by providing insights into royalty payments, the global streaming economy, and its key players.

“The number of Nigerian artistes receiving royalties of over N10 million has increased fourfold since 2018,” she disclosed. Notably, more than half of these royalties went to independent artistes or labels, highlighting the democratizing impact of streaming, which has empowered more artists to reach a wider audience and earn significant revenue.

"Spotify listeners discovered Nigerian artistes nearly 950 million times in 2023 and Nigerian artistes own over 80 per cent of the tracks featured on Nigeria's daily top 50 chart in 2023. Over 1,400 Nigerian artistes added to Spotify's editorial playlists in 2023.

“The significant growth in royalties earned by Nigerian artistes on our platform is a powerful testament to their talent, creativity and global appeal. We are proud to amplify their voices and fuel the Nigerian music revolution.

“As a leader in the streaming economy, we are committed to supporting African creators to make a living from their art and we'll continue to invest further in African artists to ensure this momentum continues,” she said.

Although Afrobeats remains the dominant genre in Nigeria's music scene, a genre revolution is underway, with Spotify data revealing a significant increase in popularity across local genres. This surge in popularity indicates a diversification of musical tastes and a vibrant musical ecosystem.

In the last 12 months, homegrown genres like Highlife, Igbo Pop, and Fuji have experienced a remarkable increase in listenership, with Highlife growing by 224%, Igbo Pop by 303%, and Fuji by 187%. This upward trend continues in Q1 2024, with Highlife, Fuji, and Igbo Pop seeing a significant increase in listenership compared to Q1 2023, growing by 240%, 175%, and 270% respectively.

Fuji King K1 De Ultimate remains at the top of the Fuji genre, while Umu Obiligbo's energetic style is revitalizing Highlife, and Phyno is leading the charge for Igbo Pop. These artistes are driving the growth of their respective genres, showcasing the rich diversity of Nigerian music.

“For top tracks, Fuji gets a fresh spin with Adewale Ayuba's 'Koloba Koloba, Highlife goes nostalgic with Chief Osita Osadebe's 'Nwanem Ebezina' and Igbo Pop gets a vibrant boost with KCee's 'Ojapiano.'

“Men dominate listeners 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 the three genres, making up 32 per cent of Fuji listeners, 31 per cent of Highlife listeners, and 46 per cent of Igbo Pop listeners.

“Interestingly, cities like Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Katsina all top the charts for streaming these local genres - Fuji, Highlife, and Igbo Pop. The top 5 exported music genres from Nigeria are Afrobeats, Nigerian Pop, Afropop, Nigerian Hip Hop and Afro Rhymes and Blues,” she said.