New data highlights sharp revenue growth, stronger local consumption,
rising discovery, and the growing contribution of independent artists
and labels to Nigeria’s music economy
[LAGOS, NIGERIA, MARCH, 2026] — Spotify today shared
Nigeria-specific insights from Loud & Clear, its annual report designed
to help artists, fans, and the wider music industry better understand
the economics of music streaming.
Each year, Loud & Clear looks across millions of data points to paint a
clearer picture of how artists are building careers, growing audiences,
crossing borders, and reaching new milestones. In Nigeria, the latest
data points to a music ecosystem that is expanding rapidly, deepening
its local impact, and continuing to travel globally.
In 2025, Nigerian artists generated over ₦60 billion from Spotify
alone, with revenue growing by more than 140% over the last two years.
The figures reflect both the growing global appeal of Nigerian music and
the increasing economic opportunity for artists across the market.
The report also shows the scale of listener engagement with Nigerian
music on Spotify. In 2025, Nigerian artists generated 30.3 billion
streams and 1.6 billion listening hours on Spotify alone. They were also
discovered by first-time listeners more than 1.3 billion times, marking
a 26% increase compared to 2024.
At home, Nigerian music continues to command a powerful share of
listening. In 2025, Nigerian artists were responsible for over 80% of
the tracks featured on Spotify Nigeria’s Daily Top 50, underlining the
strength of local talent in shaping the country’s listening habits.
Local consumption of Nigerian artists also grew by 170% year-on-year on
Spotify alone.
“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. For us, Loud & Clear is an
opportunity to spotlight the evolving pathways artists are taking to
build sustainable careers, and to show the many ways Nigerian creators
are shaping the future of music,” says Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Managing
Director, Spotify in Africa.
The data also points to important growth across key artist segments.
Local streams of Nigerian female artists grew by 55% year-on-year, while
local streams of Nigerian indie artists grew by 75% year-on-year. Around
58% of all royalties generated by Nigerian artists on Spotify in 2025
were generated by independent artists or labels, highlighting the
important role independent creators and businesses continue to play in
Nigeria’s music story.
Spotify’s editorial ecosystem also continued to support artist
discovery and amplification. In 2025, nearly 2,000 Nigerian artists were
added to editorial playlists on Spotify. Beyond editorial support,
Nigerian music continued to resonate strongly with listeners around the
world, with Nigerian artists featured in nearly 320 million user
playlists globally and over 12 million user playlists in Nigeria. In
total, more than 60 million playlists featuring Nigerian artists were
created on Spotify alone in 2025.
The latest data also reflects the breadth of listening culture in
Nigeria. Over the last five years, the genres that have seen the highest
growth on Spotify in Nigeria are pop urbaine, alternative pop, anime,
emo, and drill, signalling an increasingly diverse and fast-evolving
music landscape.
Loud & Clear continues to offer a deeper look at the data behind
streaming, and in Nigeria, this year’s story is clear: local artists
are building momentum at home, reaching new audiences at scale, and
generating growing economic value from Spotify alone.For the full data
breakdown and interactive insights, visit spotify.com/loudandclear [1].
