Afrobeats drives 114% music boom in sub-Saharan Africa – Spotify

The report crowns Nigerian singer Asake as the most-streamed artist in sub-Saharan Africa, a spot previously held by fellow Nigerian popstar Burna Boy.

Burna Boy drops to number two, with Seyi Vibez in fourth place. Rema claims the fifth spot, while Davido and Wizkid are also featured in the top 10, ranking sixth and seventh, respectively, with Bnxn completing the list. 

Chike with ‘Egwu’ leads the top-streamed tracks list, followed by Asake’s ‘Lonely At The Top’. Ayo Maff secures the third spot with ‘Dealer’ while Odumodublvck’s Black Sherif-assisted ‘Wotowoto Seasoning ranks fourth. Burna Boy takes the fifth position with ‘Higher’, Seyi Vibez follows closely with ‘Different Pattern’, and ‘Tshwala Bam’, TitoM’s collaboration with S.N.E & EeQue, grabs the seventh spot. At number eight is Kabza De Small’s ‘Imithandazo’, featuring Young Stunna, DJ Maphorisa, Sizwe Alakine, and Umthakathi Kush. Ayra Starr’s ‘Commas’ takes the ninth spot, while Young Jonn rounds out the top 10 with his hit ‘Aquafina’. 

Spotify’s top-streamed albums in sub-Saharan Africa feature a strong presence of Afrobeats and amapiano. Young Jonn leads with Jiggy Forever, while Asake dominates with three albums: Work of Art (2nd), Lungu Boy (3rd), and Mr Money With The Vibe (10th). Odumodublvck’s EZIOKWU ranks 4th, Rema’s HEIS (5th), and Ayra Starr’s The Year I Turned 21 (7th). Omah Lay’s Boy Alone (8th) and Burna Boy’s I Told Them… (9th) complete the list.

In Ghana, a key Afrobeats hub after Nigeria, the most-streamed artists of 2024 are led by Black Sherif, followed by international stars Asake and Burna Boy, with local icons Sarkodie, Kweku Smoke, and Drake rounding out the top five. For Ghanaian artists specifically, Black Sherif tops the list, with Sarkodie, Kweku Smoke, and King Promise also making strong showings.

In terms of albums, Black Sherif’s The Villain I Never Was leads the way, with Asake’s Work of Art and King Promise’s True To Self following closely behind. Other notable albums include Odumodublvck’s EZIOKWU, Omah Lay’s Boy Alone, and Burna Boy’s I Told Them…

Meanwhile, according to Spotify’s latest Loud & Clear report, the platform has paid over $9 billion to the music industry, nearly tripling payments in six years. In Nigeria, artists earned around $17 million in streaming royalties in 2023, a 2 500% increase since 2017. South African artists earned about $14 million, a 240% rise since 2019.

Spotify, launched in 2008, currently boasts over 100 million tracks and 640 million users across 180 markets.