Spotify, a music streaming platform, has revealed that Nigerian users streamed more than 1.4 billion hours of audio content in 2025, highlighting the country’s growing influence in the global digital music ecosystem as the platform marks five years of operations in Nigeria.
The streaming company disclosed the figures in a statement celebrating its fifth anniversary in the Nigerian market, using platform data to illustrate how listening habits, artist participation, and genre preferences have evolved since its launch in February 2021.
According to Spotify, Nigeria’s streaming landscape has expanded rapidly over the period, supported by a young and digitally savvy audience. The company noted that the average Nigerian listener on its platform is 26 years old, a demographic it said is actively shaping music consumption trends and driving cultural conversations through digital platforms.
Since entering the market, Spotify said listening activity among Nigerian users has grown at an average rate of 163.5 percent year-on-year, reflecting increasing adoption of music streaming services amid wider smartphone penetration and improved internet access.
User engagement has also deepened significantly. Nigerians have created more than 25 million playlists on the platform since launch, demonstrating strong participation in personalised music discovery and curated listening experiences. At the same time, local creative output has expanded, with Nigerian artists uploading over 900,000 tracks to Spotify within the five-year period.
The company added that the number of Nigerian artists distributing music through its platform has increased by 158 percent since 2021, signalling a widening pipeline of creators leveraging streaming platforms to reach audiences both locally and globally.
Afrobeats continue to sit at the centre of this growth story. Spotify reported that streams within the genre have surged by more than 5,022 percent since its Nigerian debut, reinforcing the genre’s position as a major export driving international attention toward Nigerian music.
Over the last five years, the most-streamed artists in Nigeria on the platform include Asake, Wizkid, Seyi Vibez, Burna Boy and Davido. Spotify highlighted Asake as a standout performer during the period, noting that he secured four spots among the country’s top 10 most-streamed songs, including the leading track, “Remember.”
Beyond Afrobeats, Nigerian listeners are increasingly embracing a wider mix of sounds. Amapiano recorded the fastest growth rate, expanding by more than 10,300 percent, followed by gospel and praise music at 5,499 percent. Hip-hop and rap streams grew by 3,020 percent, while R&B recorded a 2,602 percent increase, reflecting shifting audience tastes and cross-genre exploration.
Spotify also observed rising interest in indigenous-language music, with streams of songs performed in Nigerian languages increasing by 554 percent in 2024 alone. The company said the trend points to a renewed appreciation for culturally rooted storytelling and locally expressive content.
Audio consumption growth has not been limited to music. Podcast listening has gained momentum among Nigerian audiences, with users streaming nearly 60 million hours of podcast content since the platform’s launch. Spotify attributed the rise to growing demand for digital storytelling, commentary, and knowledge-based audio programming.
Reflecting on the milestone, the company said the data underscores Nigeria’s expanding role in shaping global sound culture, adding that its platform continues to connect Nigerian artists, creators, and listeners with audiences around the world while supporting the next phase of growth in the country’s creative economy.
