Streaming is Here to Stay- Spotify’s JocelyneMuhutu-Remy 

Vanessa Obioha

Managing Director for Spotify Africa, Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy is confident that music streaming is here to stay. Muhutu-Remy, who was in Nigeria last Thursday to share the streamer’s Loud and Clear annual report that details the streaming economics, happily shared during a fireside chat that streaming is the future of music consumption.

Her response is coming on the heels of the news that Nigerian artists generated more than N58 billion naira on Spotify last year. That sum is more than double the amount it paid in 2023. Globally, Spotify ranks the only music streaming company that paid $10 billion in royalties last year.

The data is a clear indication of the continued global appeal of Nigerian music, particularly afrobeats, which was the fastest-growing music genre in the world last year.

“The incredible growth of Nigerian music, both locally and globally, is a testament to the talent and creativity within Nigeria, and we are proud to support its continued rise,” said Muhutu-Remy.

More data from the report showed that the number of Nigerian artists generating 10 million in royalties from Spotify has more than doubled since 2023 and more than tripled compared to 2022 figures. Also, Nigerian artists were discovered by first-time listeners over one billion times on Spotify in 2024. More than 1,900 Nigerian artists were added to Spotify editorial playlists—33% more than in 2023.

Further details from the report showed that the Nigerian music global audience is increasing. Global listeners, on average, spend over 1.1 million hours streaming Nigerian artists. Users have also created approximately 250 million playlists featuring Nigerian artists worldwide. Nigerian artists have seen a 49% export growth over the past three years while local consumption of Nigerian content has grown 206% year-over-year, with a remarkable 782% increase over the past three years.

As much as the data is good news, Muhutu-Remy also highlighted the challenges that persist such as data gathering and sharing ratio, as well as the financial expertise.

“The ecosystem is big. A lot of this is not going to who it should go to.”

Nonetheless, she is optimistic that streaming is the future of the music business.