Forget the glitz and the Grammy wins, behind Nigeria’s thriving music scene lies a hard truth: one million streams in the country earns an artist a paltry $300.
Muyiwa Awoniyi, the manager of Afrobeats queen Tems, didn’t hold back when he spilled this reality during a recent episode of the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast.
Awoniyi broke down why Nigerian artists barely see any real money from local streams, compared to their counterparts in wealthier countries. In Sweden, for instance, one million Spotify streams can bring in a whopping $8,000 to $10,000. But in Nigeria? “It’s $300. That’s the truth. N900 to subscribe to Spotify, and Spotify treats things territorially,” Awoniyi said.
He’s been in the game long enough to see the writing on the wall. From his early days managing Nonso Amadi to working with Omah Lay and now Tems, Awoniyi says he’s always understood the math. “If your IP is tied to a country where one million streams earns just $300, you’re cooked,” he declared.
The reason for this massive gap is simple: Nigeria’s cheap streaming subscription fees and a battered economy that limits people’s spending power.
“The trickle-down effect of the economy hits the citizens,” Awoniyi explained. “Your purchasing power is going to be limited.”
But Awoniyi isn’t alone in sounding the alarm. Even Burna Boy, who amassed 435 million streams in 2020 according to Billboard, sees only a fraction of the fortune streaming giants rake in. Data shows that while Burna Boy could have earned about $3.2 million from Apple Music and $1.9 million from Spotify streams, that’s still only about 10% of Nigeria’s entire music industry revenue for that year. In comparison, Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny earned an estimated $97 million from 8.3 billion streams in 2020, dwarfing Nigeria’s entire market.
It’s a sobering reality: while Nigerian songs dominate the charts and set the world dancing, the country’s struggling economy, limited purchasing power, and low-cost streaming subscriptions make it almost impossible for local artists to earn real money at home.
In other news, iNaijanow recently shared a post on Priscilla Ojo’s pregnancy rumor.
Comedy star Mark Angel has also weighed in on the streaming conundrum. Despite earning up to $300,000 monthly from platforms like YouTube and Facebook, he points to poor internet infrastructure as a major stumbling block. Limited access to reliable internet restricts how many fans can actually watch, listen, and drive up revenue for creators.
These revelations highlight a major challenge for artists who dominate the Nigerian charts: local success doesn’t always translate into real money. For emerging stars in the Afrobeats wave, the message is clear- you want to survive and thrive in the global music business, you need fans and streams from beyond your home base.
Tems’ manager’s blunt revelation is a wake-up call. While the world can’t get enough of Nigerian sounds, the artists behind those hits are still fighting for fairer pay and pushing to make their voices heard in the international marketplace.
If you enjoyed this article, click here to read more informative posts, also check us out on Instagram for fun and engaging content.
Disclaimer: The opinions, views, and information expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or views of iNaijanow. The company assumes no liability for any errors, omissions, or damages arising from the use of this information.
