Royalties paid to artists from Nigeria and South Africa by global audio streaming platform Spotify surged to nearly $59 million in 2024, as the popularity of African music continued to rise on the global stage.
The two countries remain Spotify’s largest markets in Africa, and their artists are increasingly gaining international attention, helped by breakout stars such as Burna Boy from Nigeria and Tyla from South Africa.
Globally, Spotify disbursed about $10 billion in royalties last year. Although Africa represents a relatively small share of this, interest in its music has grown significantly.
According to the platform, over 250 million playlists now include at least one Nigerian artist, while South African musicians are featured in over 220 million playlists worldwide.
Spotify’s Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, noted that more emerging and mid-level artists are now able to sustain themselves through earnings on the platform, marking a positive shift in the region’s music economy.
Nigerian artists received over ₦58 billion (approximately $38 million) in royalties in 2024, more than twice the amount they earned the previous year. South African artists earned around 400 million rand (about $21 million), reflecting a 54% increase compared to 2023.
A substantial portion of these earnings came from international listeners. In the last three years, Nigerian music exports have grown by 49%, while South African exports have soared by 104%.
The number of Nigerian artists earning at least ₦10 million on Spotify doubled in 2024 and has tripled since 2022.
In South Africa, the number of musicians earning between 100,000 and 500,000 rand has also doubled over the past three years.
