Nigeria, South Africa Music Industries See Royalties Surge on Spotify in 2024

Nigeria and South Africa's music industries experienced significant growth in 2024, generating approximately $59 million in royalties from Spotify. This increase is largely due to the rising global popularity of African music genres, specifically Nigeria's Afrobeats and South Africa's Amapiano. Royalties paid to Nigerian artists reached around $38 million (₦58 billion Nigerian naira), more than doubling the amount from 2023. South African artists generated $21 million (400 million rand). Key artists driving this success include Burna Boy and Ayra Starr from Nigeria, and Grammy Award-winning Tyla from South Africa, all of whom have helped bring Afrobeats and Amapiano to a broader international audience. In 2024, music from both countries achieved unprecedented international reach, with each surpassing one billion first-time listeners on Spotify. There was also a notable rise in domestic streaming, with royalties for music performed in indigenous languages experiencing substantial growth. According to Spotify, approximately 250 million user-created playlists now feature at least one Nigerian artist, and 220 million include a South African artist.