Nigerian music stars Ayra Starr and Tems are the most played Nigerian artists worldwide on Spotify for the first half of 2024. This was announced by Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa, in Lagos.
Spotify’s Global Impact List for 2024 showed the top 30 artists with the highest global streams. Ayra Starr and Rauw Alejandro’s song “Santa” was number one, with Ayra Starr’s “Comma” in second place.
Tems’ song “Love Me Jeje” was third. Other big hits included Luciano and Omah Lay’s “Another Vibe” in fourth, and Savage and Burna Boy’s “Metro Boomin Just Like Me” in fifth. Tems and Tyla’s “No.1” was sixth.
Okumu said, “Spotify has released its Global Impact List in Nigeria, showing the top 30 Nigerian songs that were played the most worldwide from January 1 to June 30.”
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Usher and Pheelz’s “Ruin” was seventh, Reis B and Tempoe’s “Pretty Girl” was eighth, and TitoM, Yuppe, Burna Boy, and S.N.E’s “Tshwala Bam” was ninth. Ayra Starr and Giveon’s “Last Heartbreak Song” took the tenth spot, followed by Victony’s “Everything” at eleventh, and Aya Nakamura and Ayra Starr’s “Hype” at twelfth. Tems and J. Cole’s “Free Fall” came in thirteenth.
Okumu noted, “Nigerian music, especially Afrobeats, is loved worldwide because of its catchy beats, great storytelling, and new sounds.” She said it’s amazing how Nigerian music connects with people from different cultures and places. “At Spotify, we’re happy to see and help this exciting music scene grow.”
Okumu highlighted the success of female artists like Ayra Starr and Tems, who have top hits after their new albums. She also pointed out the many international collaborations, with most of the top songs featuring global stars.
These collaborations, like Pheelz with Usher and Burna Boy with 21 Savage and Metro Boomin, show how Nigerian music is becoming popular all over the world.
Other well-known Nigerian artists include Usher and Burna Boy with “Coming Home” at fourteenth and Ayra Starr and Seyi Vibez’s “Bad Vibes” at fifteenth, among others.
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The future looks bright for Nigerian Afrobeats music. According to the 2024 International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) report, the music market in Sub-Saharan Africa is growing the fastest, with a 24.7% increase in revenue.
Newslodge reported that Spotify paid over N25 billion in streaming royalties to Nigerian artists in 2023. This information came from Spotify’s Loud & Clear report, which showed Nigerian artists earned more than double the N11 billion they made in 2022.
Spotify also noted a 2,500% increase in royalties paid to Nigerian artists since 2017.
It’s important to remember that Spotify is just one of many music streaming services. Artists also make money from platforms like YouTube Music, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.
With new technology, artists can share their music with people all over the world. This not only brings them money but also helps the African music scene grow steadily.