Spotify reports SA artists earned over $30.6m on platform in 2025

The figure represents a 28% year-on-year increase and nearly double the earnings recorded in 2023. The streaming platform said the growth reflects rising global demand for South African music and the increasing reach of local artists in international markets.

The Loud & Clear report is a data-driven initiative launched in 2021 to provide transparency on music streaming economics, including royalty pay-outs and how revenue flows through the industry.

According to the report, more than half of the royalties earned by South African artists on Spotify in 2025 came from independent artists or labels. It also found that 74% of royalties were generated by listeners outside South Africa.

Discovery data showed that South African artists were discovered by first-time listeners more than 1.6 billion times in 2025, a 40% increase compared with 2024. In addition, around 3,550 South African artists were added to Spotify editorial playlists during the year.

Locally, South African artists accounted for 67% of the tracks featured on Spotify South Africa’s Daily Top 50 chart in 2025. The platform also reported growth in several genres over the past five years, including cloud rap, pop rap, worship, and country-influenced styles.

Female South African artists saw a 22% year-on-year increase in local streams and a 20% increase in international streams. Music performed in Zulu recorded a 37% rise in global royalties year on year, and more than 120% growth over two years.

The findings were presented at an event held at Spotify’s new offices in Rosebank, Johannesburg, attended by industry stakeholders, media representatives and content creators.

“Loud & Clear’s report this year proves that South African artists are not only experiencing explosive growth but have solidified their position as a globally dominant creative force,” Spotify Sub-Saharan Africa managing director Joceleyne Muhutu-Remy said. “Their success is driven by worldwide demand, ensuring that independent and local talent alike are being discovered by billions of listeners and taking the international stage by storm.”

South African Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi, who did not attend the event, issued a statement thanking Spotify for establishing its African hub in the country and encouraging greater support for African languages, skills development and transparency in the sector.

During a panel discussion, Spotify Africa music executive Phiona Okumu responded to the call for greater investment in local industry development, saying: “This is a challenge we accept as Spotify.”

Spotify said African music continues to play an increasingly influential role in global culture, with listening trends across cities such as Johannesburg, Lagos, Accra and Nairobi reflecting interconnected growth in the continent’s music markets.