Spotify’s royalties paid to artists from Nigeria and South Africa (their two largest African markets) soared to about $59 million in 2024, marking a significant leap in revenue for African musicians on the global stage.
Last year, the audio streaming platform totaled $10 billion in royalties worldwide, reflecting global demand for music from Africa. Although the mainland remains a relatively small part of Spotify’s global catalog, its influence continues to expand rapidly, driven by internationally renowned artists such as Burna Boy in Nigeria and Tyla in South Africa.
Nigerian artists jointly won over N58 billion (US$38 million) in 2024, increasing the amount received in 2023, according to data released by the company on Thursday, April 3. South African artists received rand 400 million (USD 210 million), a 54% increase in year.
Much of this revenue is driven by international audiences. Over the past three years, music exports of Nigerian artists have increased by 49%, while export growth in South Africa has reached a staggering 104% in the same period.
Spotify revealed that about 250 million user-generated playlists now include at least one Nigerian artist, while South Africa’s behavior appears on more than 220 million playlists.
“What we’re seeing is an excellent evolution surrounding the increasing number of middle-level or emerging artists making a living,” said Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, director of Sub-Saharan Africa.
In Nigeria, the number of artists earning over Nai10 million per year on Spotify doubled last year, and has tripled since 2022. In South Africa, the number of artists earning between 100,000 and 500,000 Rand has also doubled over the past three years, highlighting the streaming platform that has transformed its music career across the continent.
