Afrobeat listeners grew by 22% globally – Spotify Wrapped 2025

Spotify's 2025 Wrapped report shows a surge in Nigerian music consumption, with listeners spending over 1.3 billion hours on the platform. Local music streams grew by an impressive 82% year-on-year, while global Afrobeats listenership increased by 22% globally.

Spotify has released its annual Wrapped report for 2025, offering a clear snapshot of how Africans streamed music and podcasts throughout the year. 

According to the Wrapped data, Nigerians spent more than 1.3 billion hours listening to Spotify this year. Compared to last year’s, the amount of time Nigerians spent on local music skyrocketed. 

Local music consumption increased by 82% over the past year, with daily streams growing by 23%. The time spent listening to podcasts also saw a 97% year-on-year growth, with a 48% increase in podcast production.

“Nigeria’s 2025 Wrapped paints a picture of a music scene that is absolutely thriving. It’s incredible to see how fast Nigerians embrace fresh voices right alongside the legends.” Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa, says.

Afrobeats to the world

African artists continued to hold their mark globally, with Afrobeats listeners growing by 22% in the past year. The most-streamed artists in Africa were mainly Nigerian and South African.

Afrobeats, Amapiano and Gen Z-led street sounds dominated streaming across major markets, including Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya. The average listening age in Nigeria was recorded as 25 years.

Afrobeats remained Nigeria’s biggest export, with homegrown artists occupying most of the country’s top charts. South Africa’s Amapiano wave continued to influence playlists across Africa, even making its way into Spotify’s global editorial playlists.

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Across the board, African listeners streamed more local music this year than ever before, a trend Spotify says is consistent with rising cultural engagement and better artist-to-fan engagement.

One interesting note, however, is that several breakout acts, particularly younger artists who gained traction through TikTok and Instagram challenges, made their first appearance on the annual charts, showing how social media platforms like TikTok help artists ampli...