Spotify royalty payouts to Nigerian and South African artists boom in 2024

Source: Reuters/Dylan Martinez

The Swedish company paid out some $10bn 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 recently said.

"What we're seeing is an excellent evolution around more and more mid-tier or up-and-coming artists making a living," said Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Spotify's managing director for sub-Saharan Africa.

Nigerian artists received over $38m in royalties last year, more than double the 2023 figure. Royalties for South African performers reached $21m, 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%.

The number of Nigerian artists earning ₦10m, meanwhile, doubled year-on-year and has tripled since 2022.

In South Africa, the number of those earning between R100,000 and 500,000 has doubled over the past three years.