Try our mobile app
Audio streaming giant Spotify’s royalty payments to artists from South African and Nigeria, its two biggest African markets, spiked to around US$59-million (R1.1-billion) last year as performers rode a wave of growing interest in music from the continent. The Swedish company paid out some $10-billion in royalties worldwide in 2024. And while Africa represents only a small part of its offering, interest in African artists has ballooned, buoyed in part by internationally recognised acts like South African singer Tyla and Nigeria’s Burna Boy . Around 250 million user-created playlists now feature at least one Nigerian artist, and 220 million contain a South African, the company said on Thursday. And while Africa represents only a small part of its offering, interest in African artists has ballooned “What we’re seeing is an excellent evolution around more and more midtier or up-and-coming artists making a living,” said Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Spotify’s MD for sub-Saharan Africa. Nigerian artists received more than $38-million in royalties last year, more than double the 2023 figure. Royalties for South African performers reached $21 million (R400-million), up 54% year on year. Much of that came from outside their home markets. Nigerian artists have seen a 49% increase in export growth over the past three years, while South Africa saw export growth of 104%. Read: YouTube Premium price hike in South Africa The number of Nigerian artists earning ₦10-million (R1.2-million), meanwhile, doubled year on year and has tripled since 2022. In South Africa, the number of those earning between R100 000 and R500 000 has doubled over the past three years. — Siyanda Mthethwa, (c) 2025 Reuters Get breaking news from TechCentral on WhatsApp. Sign up here . Don’t miss: Spotify to launch new high-end Music Pro tier in 2025
