Davido, Wizkid, Other Nigerian Artists Earned N25bn From Streaming- Spotify

Spotify, a global online music streaming platform has revealed that in 2023, it paid Nigerian artists, including the likes of Davido and Wizkid, more than N25bn as royalties.

This was made known in a statement released on Friday by Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Spotify’s Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa. He noted that it’s a substantial increase from previous years.

Muhutu-Remy stated that the amount doubled what was recorded in 2022, with 2,500 per cent increase since 2017.

According to Muhutu-Remy, the information was unveiled in Spotify’s latest annual report, “Loud & Clear,” aimed at enhancing transparency in the music industry by divulging data on royalty payments and elucidating the global streaming economy.

The report further revealed the surge in the number of Nigerian artists earning over N10m in royalties since 2018, demonstrating the democratization power of streaming platforms like Spotify.

She stated that more than half of these royalties were distributed to independent artists or labels, underscoring the platform’s commitment to supporting diverse talents.

Also she said in terms of listenership, Nigerian artists garnered almost 950 million discoveries by Spotify users in 2023, with over 80 per cent of tracks featured on Nigeria’s daily top 50 chart originating from local talents. Additionally, Spotify’s editorial playlists welcomed over 1,400 Nigerian artists in 2023, further amplifying their reach and influence globally.

“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.

Muhutu-Remy noted that while Afrobeats maintained its dominance, Spotify’s data unveiled a significant increase interest in local genres within Nigeria’s music scene.

She said homegrown genres like Highlife, Igbo Pop, and Fuji experienced spikes in listenership in the last one year, with increasing range from 187 to 303 per cent. It added that top artists like K1 De Ultimate and Umu Obiligbo are leading the charge in these genres, with tracks like “Koloba Koloba” and “Nwanem Ebezina” resonating strongly with audiences.

Interestingly, while men constitute the majority of listeners for local genres like Fuji, Highlife, and Igbo Pop, Gen Z emerged as the primary demographic across all three, comprising up to 46 per cent of Igbo Pop listeners.

“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.