Spotify's annual Wrapped report for 2025 provides an insightful overview of music and podcast streaming patterns across Africa, with a particular focus on Nigeria. The data reveals that Nigerians collectively spent over 1.3 billion hours listening to Spotify throughout the year. A significant trend highlighted is the remarkable surge in local music consumption, which skyrocketed by 82% over the past year, accompanied by a 23% increase in daily streams. Podcast listening also experienced substantial growth, with a 97% year-on-year increase in listening time and a 48% rise in podcast production. Phiona Okumu, Spotify's Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa, remarked on Nigeria's thriving music scene, noting the rapid embrace of new artists alongside established legends.

The global influence of African artists continued to expand, with Afrobeats listeners growing by 22% in the past year. The most-streamed artists across Africa predominantly hailed from Nigeria and South Africa. Genres such as Afrobeats, Amapiano, and Gen Z-led street sounds were dominant across major markets including Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya. The average listening age in Nigeria was reported to be 25 years. Afrobeats maintained its position as Nigeria's leading musical export, with homegrown artists frequently topping the country's charts. South Africa's Amapiano genre further cemented its impact, influencing playlists throughout Africa and even gaining traction on Spotify’s global editorial playlists.

A consistent trend observed was that African listeners streamed more local music than ever before, a development Spotify links to rising cultural engagement and enhanced artist-to-fan interaction. Notably, several breakout acts, particularly younger artists who gained popularity through TikTok and Instagram challenges, made their debut on the annual charts, underscoring the role of social media platforms in amplifying new sounds. The top 10 most-streamed songs featured four significant breakout artists: Fido at #2 with "Joy is Coming," Kunmie at #3 with "Arike," Faceless at #4 with "Venus," and FOLA at #6 with "Lost." The overall Most-Streamed Song was "With You" by Davido featuring Omah Lay.

In Nigeria, Wizkid secured the top spot as the most-streamed artist, followed by prominent figures such as Seyi Vibez, Asake, Burna Boy, and Odumodublvck. Ayra Starr retained her title as the most-streamed female artist in Nigeria, with Tems, Smur Lee, Tiwa Savage, and Sunmisola close behind. Burna Boy was recognized as the most exported artist, signifying the highest number of streams for his music outside of Nigeria. Rema’s collaboration "Calm Down" with Selena Gomez was named the most exported local song for the third consecutive year.

In 2025, more African artists strategically optimized their music releases for streaming platforms. This involved producing shorter tracks, incorporating more features, and tailoring release strategies around playlist placements. Beyond music, podcast listening experienced a significant increase, with the top-streamed podcasts indicating a strong and consistent preference for faith- and spirituality-led content among listeners.