Spotify paid $59 million in royalties to Nigerian and South African artists in 2024, reflecting growing global demand for African music, according to Reuters.

Audio streaming giant Spotify's royalty payments to artists from Nigeria and South Africa—its two biggest African markets—rose to approximately $59 million last year, as performers benefited from the increasing global interest in music from the continent, Reuters reported. The Swedish company disbursed about $10 billion in royalties globally in 2024. Although Africa constitutes only a small fraction of Spotify's overall catalog, African artists have witnessed a significant surge in recognition, aided by globally acclaimed figures such as South African singer Tyla and Nigeria's Burna Boy.

Currently, around 250 million user-created playlists feature at least one Nigerian artist, while 220 million include at least one South African artist, according to data released by the company on Thursday.

"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 earned more than 58 billion Nigerian naira (equivalent to $38 million) in royalties last year, which is more than double what they earned in 2023. Meanwhile, South African artists received 400 million rand (approximately $21 million), reflecting a 54% increase compared to the previous year.

A significant portion of this revenue originated from audiences outside of the artists’ home countries. Over the past three years, Nigerian artists have experienced a 49% increase in export growth, while South African artists have achieved an even more remarkable 104% growth in music exports.

In terms of individual earnings, the number of Nigerian artists earning 10 million naira annually has doubled in the past year and tripled since 2022. Similarly, in South Africa, the number of artists earning between 100,000 and 500,000 rand has doubled over the last three years.