Africa’s streaming culture hit new milestones in 2025, with Nigerians driving some of the most significant shifts in how music and podcasts were consumed this year. New data from Spotify Wrapped shows that listeners in Nigeria alone logged more than 1.3 billion hours on the platform, one of the highest engagement levels on the continent.
Local music led the charge. Nigerian songs recorded an 82% spike in listening time, while daily streams grew by 23%, reflecting the country’s deepening appetite for homegrown sounds. Podcast engagement also surged, with listening time up 97% and podcast creation rising by 48%.
Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa, said the numbers capture the energy of a rapidly evolving scene. “Nigeria’s 2025 Wrapped paints a picture of a music landscape that is absolutely thriving. It’s incredible to see how fast Nigerians embrace fresh voices right alongside the legends,” she said.
Across borders, African artists continued to shape global listening trends. Afrobeat listenership rose 22% worldwide, with Nigerian and South African artists dominating the continent’s most-streamed lists. Afrobeats, Amapiano, and Gen Z-driven street sounds remained the backbone of streaming across Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya. In Nigeria, the average listener age stood at 25.
Homegrown Afrobeats kept its status as Nigeria’s biggest export, while Amapiano maintained a firm grip on African playlists and continued to appear in Spotify’s global editorial selections.
Wrapped 2025 also confirmed the growing influence of social media on music discovery. Several young artists who first gained traction on TikTok and Instagram appeared on the annual charts for the first time.
The most-streamed song overall was With You by Davido featuring Omah Lay.
Wizkid led as Nigeria’s most-streamed artist, followed by Seyi Vibez, Asake, Burna Boy, and Odumodublvck. Among women, Ayra Starr once again topped the charts, with Tems, Smur Lee, Tiwa Savage, and Sunmisola rounding out the top five.
Burna Boy held the title of Nigeria’s most-exported artist, while Rema’s Calm Down (featuring Selena Gomez) remained the most-exported Nigerian song for the third year running.
As more African artists lean into streaming-friendly releases shorter songs, collaborative features, and playlist-driven rollouts the continent’s music ecosystem continues to expand. Podcast listening also saw an impressive rise, with faith and spirituality dominating the top-streamed categories.