How Much Does Spotify Pay Per Song to Nigerian Musicians?

How much Spotify pay Nigerian musicians this year

As more people within and outside Nigeria continue to stream our music on Spotify, two things have unfolded within the Nigerian music space and about our musicians.

One, music now pays much better. In 2024, Spotify reported that they paid over $10 billion in royalties to artists worldwide, a figure that shows how much streaming has reshaped the financial reality of musicians.

Two, more Nigerian musicians; including big names and rising stars are beginning to take streaming platforms seriously as a legitimate income source.

But how much exactly does Spotify pay per song to Nigerian musicians? The answer will depend on a lot of factors which this article will try to unveil. Stick around so you can discover how you as a Nigerian artist can position yourself to earn the most from your streams.

So, How Much Does Spotify Pay Nigerian Artistes Per Stream?

First, be reminded that the payment you get from streams is called royalties. Spotify as a streaming platform calculates royalties from the songs of artistes and pay them accordingly.

Before we continue, we need to deconstruct some notions first. Spotify doesn’t pay artists a fixed amount per song. Instead, the payout depends on a revenue-sharing model. What does this mean?

It means that the platform collects money from two sources, namely, premium subscriptions and ads. After Spotify takes its cut, the rest is distributed to rights holders (record labels, distributors, publishers, and then the artists).

Whan Spotify pays those rights holders, they pay artists according to their contracts. So the actual amount an artist gets depends not only on streams, but on region, subscription type, label deal, and more.

Let’s look at National Earnings first.

How Spotify Paid Nigerian Artistes Per Year

According to a report from Spotify in 2024, Nigerian artistes earned:

₦11 billion in 2022
₦25 billion ($17 million) in 2023
₦58 billion ($38 million) in 2024

Normally, this climb from ₦11B to ₦25B to ₦58B is a huge win for Nigerian artiste. However, while the total payouts are encouraging, the per-stream earnings in Nigeria remain low due to Spotify’s territorial payout model.

Burna boy in one of an interviews explained that one million streams in Nigeria gets around $300 to $400 at $0.0003 per stream. By contrast, the same number of streams in Sweden can yield up to $10,000.

That’s a staggering 33× difference between Nigeria and Sweden. If you dig deeper, you’d realize that these discrepancies stem from differences in subscription fees and advertising revenue.

For instance, in Nigeria, Spotify charges about ₦1,300/month ($0.82), while in Sweden, subscription fees are around $10+, so the revenue made in Nigeria is much smaller. In other words, the overall market/country economics has a lot to do with this disparity too.

Consequently, music artistes from rich countries make more while those from the not-so-rich economies make far lower. Even at this, sometimes the money doesn’t all land in the artist’s pocket. Your actual take-home will depend on:

How many streams you get.
Whether you own 100% of your music rights or split with a label/producer.
Which distributor you use and what percentage they take.

How Does This Money Get to Nigerian Artistes?

Here’s where most upcoming artists get confused. You don’t just upload your song to Spotify directly and start cashing out. Most times, you need what’s called a digital distributor (such as Mayvibe, DistroKid, TuneCore, or CD Baby).

These distributors act as the bridge between you and platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, and Boomplay.

When you sigh up with a distribution platform, they upload your music on Spotify and then:

Spotify collects subscription and ad revenue.
Spotify pools all revenue and distributes it to rights holders based on stream share.
Your distributor (like Mayvibe) receives the payout on your behalf.
Your distributor then pays you after taking a small cut (depending on their policy).

To put this in context, let’s say you’re an artiste in Nigeria and you release a good Afrobeats single. Here’s how the numbers might look:

Streams: 500,000
Let’s say the average payout per stream is: $0.004 (₦6)
Total royalties generated: $2,000 (₦3 million+)

If you use a distributor like Mayvibe, which is designed to maximize your revenue as a Nigerian musician, and they only take a small service fee, you could end up with the bulk of that ₦3 million in your bank account.

Now imagine hitting 5 million streams. That’s roughly ₦30 million in revenue, just from Spotify alone. And remember, this doesn’t even include YouTube, Apple Music, or show money.

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Factors That Affect How Much You Earn on Spotify

Earnings from Spotify are not uniform. Several factors can boost or reduce your income:

Country of the listener: Streams from the US, UK, or Europe pay higher than streams from Nigeria due to higher subscription costs. Therefore, Nigerian artists earning big in Spotify payouts typically have significant streams from outside Nigeria, especially high-paying markets such as the U.S., Europe, or western countries.
Type of account: Streams from people with premium subscription generate more money than free, ad-supported streams.
Ownership of rights: If you wrote, performed, and own your masters, you get a bigger share. If you split with a label or producer, your cut might be smaller.
Distribution partner: Some distributors take up to 20% or more. But platforms like Mayvibe ensure Nigerian musicians get the lion’s share.

Spotify vs Other Platforms in Nigeria

It’s also helpful to compare Spotify payouts to other platforms Nigerian artists use:

Apple Music: pays about $0.007 to $0.01 per stream, higher than Spotify but with fewer Nigerian users.
YouTube Music: pays around $0.18 per stream. This is a true money spinner for artistes that have their music on YouTube Music.
Audiomack & Boomplay: are popular in Nigeria, but pay rates are generally lower than Spotify’s.

This is why most Nigerian artists see Spotify and Apple Music, and YouTube Music as the serious money platforms, while others are for exposure and fan engagement.

Why Nigerian Artists Should Take Spotify Seriously

Streaming has completely changed how Nigerian music travels. Back in the CD and Alaba market era, an artist might sell thousands of physical copies and make quick cash but have zero global reach. Today, with Spotify, a boy recording in his bedroom in Jos can get his music streamed in London, New York, or Johannesburg.

Take Asake, for example. In 2022, he was relatively unknown internationally. By 2023, his songs had crossed over 200 million streams on Spotify, pushing him into the global spotlight and opening doors for tours, endorsements, and even Grammy recognition.

That’s the power of Spotify: it doesn’t just pay you per stream, it also opens up global visibility and opportunities.

How Nigerian Musicians Can Earn More on Spotify

If you’re an artist, here are proven tips to boost your earnings:

First, you need to promote your music aggressively. Keep in mind that Spotify won’t promote you by default. So, push your songs on social media, TikTok, and even through influencer marketing.

Secondly, endeavour to get on playlists. As you already know, playlist placements are gold. They can generate millions of streams for a song.

Next, collaborate smartly. Featuring a more popular artist can double your streams and audience. Go for the ones that have global acclaim if you can.

Release consistently. You should know that. The more songs you release, the more chances you have to earn from multiple streams.

Finally, choose the right distributor. Using a trusted Nigerian-focused distributor like Mayvibe ensures you actually see your money without hidden deductions.

Why Mayvibe is the Best Choice for Nigerian Artists

Some artistes may want to handle their music distribution by themselves, which is fine by the way. But here’s the thing, you may get stuck along the day.

What will you do if you encounter international streaming platforms that do not understand local payment systems and exchange rates? See? That’s why it’s better to let the experts handle the business side of things.

In this case, a platform like Mayvibe can help. As a music distribution platform built with Nigerian musicians in mind, Mayvibe ensures:

Your music gets on Spotify, Apple Music, Boomplay, Audiomack, Deezer, and more.
Higher royalty payouts with minimal cuts.
Fast and reliable payments in Naira, so you don’t struggle with dollar conversions.
Artist support and guidance, not just uploading your song and leaving you stranded.

For any Nigerian musician serious about making money from Spotify streams, Mayvibe is the smart and sustainable choice.

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Final Thoughts

Spotify’s impact on Nigerian music is undeniable. And payouts from Spotify to Nigerian musicians are growing fast. With ₦58 billion ($38 million) in 2024 alone, that’s real, meaningful revenue.

With millions of potential streams, the earnings add up quickly, especially when you own your rights and use the right distributor. Spotify is not just a platform for listening; it’s a financial engine for Nigerian musicians who are ready to think beyond local markets and tap into global audiences.

If you’re wondering how to get started without stress, remember Mayvibe is your best bet. With the right distribution partner, the royalties from your Spotify streams could be the key to turning your passion into a sustainable career.

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