Nigeria’s Podcast Streams Hits 59 Billion Hours on Spotify

Spotify has revealed that podcast consumption on its platform in Nigeria has surpassed 59 billion hours, underscoring the country’s explosive appetite for digital audio content. In a statement released Monday in Lagos, the streaming giant also disclosed that Nigerian users streamed more than 1.4 million hours of music in 2025 alone, reflecting an average growth rate of 163.5% over the past five years.

Young, Adventurous Market Driving Growth 

 According to Spotify, the average Nigerian listener is 26 years old, highlighting a youthful, experimental audience engaging across genres and formats. Genre expansion has been dramatic. Afrobeats remains dominant, recording a staggering 5,022% growth in local streams between 2021 and 2025. 

 Other genres have also surged: 

Amapiano — 10,330% growth Gospel & Praise — 5,499% growth Hip-hop & Rap — 3,020% growth R&B — 2,602% growth Indigenous language content is equally on the rise, with local indigenous streams growing 554% in 2024 and 87% in 2025, while global indigenous streams climbed 141% in 2024 and 41% in 2025. Spotify noted that the very first track streamed in Nigeria at launch was “到此為止” by Shiga Lin — a sign, it said, of the eclectic tastes of Nigerian users. 

Most Streamed Artistes and Songs Over the past five years, the most-streamed artistes in Nigeria include: Burna Boy Davido Asake Wizkid Seyi Vibez Among the most replayed songs are: “Remember” — Asake “Lonely At The Top” — Asake “Kese (Dance)” — Wizkid “Doha” — Seyi Vibez “With You” — Davido featuring Omah Lay Spotify added that Nigerian users stream an average of 150 different artistes, reflecting a diverse and exploratory listening culture. 

 Monetisation Questions Remain Industry observers say the growth signals Nigeria’s expanding cultural influence but warn that questions around royalty transparency, equitable revenue distribution, and support for emerging regional artistes remain unresolved. 

Analysts are calling for stronger monetisation systems, better access to data analytics, and improved playlist placement strategies to help artistes convert streams into sustainable income. Podcast growth presents similar opportunities. Stakeholders are urging deeper investment in local advertising markets, creator tools, and training to transform billions of listening hours into viable careers. 

Royalties Surge Past N58 Billion

According to previous reports by Nairametrics, Nigerian artistes earned more than N58 billion in Spotify royalties in 2024 — more than double 2023 earnings and five times the 2022 figure. More than 1,900 Nigerian artistes were added to Spotify editorial playlists in 2024, a 33% increase year-on-year, while first-time listeners discovered Nigerian music over one billion times. 

 International exposure for Nigerian artistes has grown 49% over three years, with domestic consumption rising 782%. Users have also created roughly 250 million playlists featuring Nigerian artistes. 

 The latest figures reinforce Nigeria’s position as one of the world’s fastest-growing streaming markets — with music and podcasting emerging as central pillars of the country’s digital creative economy.