The Sounds of Nigeria: Spotify launches new campaign

The initiative, running till 3 October, seeks to “honour the country’s rich musical heritage, which has long been a unifying force and a source of pride for Nigerians,” according to a statement.

The playlists in this campaign include Good Old Naija Days, which revisits classic hits, Naija No Dey Carry Last to celebrate resilience through music, and Naija New School to showcase rising stars. Additionally, Spotify will introduce two new playlists in Naija Gospel Throwback and Nigerian Highlife.

As part of the campaign, Spotify is collaborating with content creator and DJ Justin UG for a takeover of the Internet Famous playlist. According to the DSP, Justin UG will “introduce a wider audience to new sounds and perspectives.”

“Nigerians have always had a deep love for music, and their resilient spirit shines through in the global success of Nigerian artists. Spotify is honoured to celebrate a nation that continues to make Africa proud, amplifying the sounds and stories that resonate far beyond its borders,” Spotify’s head of music for sub-Saharan Africa, Phiona Okumu, said.

Nigerian artists earned over ₦25bn ((about $15m at current exchange rate) in streaming royalties from Spotify in 2023, reflecting a 2 500% growth since 2017. According to the DSP’s latest Loud & Clear report, the number of Nigerian artists earning over ₦10 million in royalties has quadrupled since 2018, with more than half of these earnings going to independent artists or labels. Additionally, Spotify listeners discovered Nigerian artists nearly 950 million times in 2023, and Nigerian artists accounted for over 80% of the tracks featured on Nigeria’s daily top 50 chart that same year.

Another highlight from 2023 was Rema’s ‘Calm Down’ single remix becoming the first Afrobeats-led song to surpass one billion streams on Spotify.

Meanwhile, rival DSP Apple Music has also launched this year’s edition of its annual Oshe Naija campaign in tribute to Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day, revealing Burna Boy as the most-streamed Nigeria artist of all time, followed by Wizkid, Davido, and Rema. Others include Asake, Tems, Omah Lay, Fireboy DML, Bnxn, and Olamide.