Spotify reveals top 10 Nigerian cities listening to music

Swedish audio streaming platform, Spotify has disclosed the top 10 states in Nigeria where music listening was highest between July to September 2021.

It said the top 10 states include Lagos-Lagos, Niger-Suleja, FCT-Abuja, Rivers- Port Harcourt, Edo-Benin City, Enugu-Enugu, Anambra-Onitsha, Kano-Kano, Oyo-Ibadan and Imo-Owerri.

Michelle Atagana, Spotify’s Head of Communications and Public Relations, Sub-Saharan Africa, made the disclosure in a statement on Thursday.

“There is no doubt that Nigeria is a country that loves music, whether it’s a local or international sound, Nigerians will always find a way to vibe to it once it catches on.

“In celebration of Nigeria Month, Spotify shares data on the top 10 music cities in Nigeria, along with other interesting insights.

Ms Atagana said that as a genre, Afrobeat had come to be recognised as a dominant sound for Nigerian artistes as South Africa’s Amapiano genre was also gaining momentum in Nigeria.

According to her, the rave of the moment songs like Falz’s Squander, Davido’s High or Burna Boy’s Yaba Buluku adopt the hybrid of deep house jazz and lounge music associated with Amapiano.

She noted that Lagos State, the entertainment capital of Nigeria, was living up to its title as Spotify revealed that it topped other states, leading music listenership between the months of July to September 2021.

She said, “Here is the full list of the top ten states in Nigeria where music listening was highest under the period of review according to Spotify.

“1st-Lagos-Lagos; 2nd-Niger-Suleja; 3rd-FCT-Abuja; 4th-Rivers- Port Harcourt; 5th-Edo-Benin City, 6th-Enugu-Enugu; 7th-Anambra-Onitsha; 8th-Kano-Kano; 9th- Oyo-Ibadan and 10th-Imo-Owerri.

“Top cities in Nigeria by music listening does not include podcast listening”.

Atagana said that interestingly, the top three streaming states seemed to have varying music tastes, with the top three songs in each state differing:

“Lagos-Lagos- Gbese by Positivv, Yung Felix Understand by Omah Lay, Peru by Fireboy DML.

“Suleja-Niger State- Understand by Omah Lay, Feeling by Buju, LADIPOE, Peru by Fireboy DML.

“Abuja-Federal Capital Territory- Mojo by Brondy16, Ting by Brondy16, Understand by Omah Lay.

“Other data shows that some of the more popular music artists in Nigeria include: Wizkid, Omah Lay, Fireboy DML, Tems and Rema. It is clear that Nigerians are tangibly showing the love for their nation, with local artists leading the charge in listening trends,” she said.

Spotify offers digital copyright-restricted recorded music and podcasts, including more than 70 million songs, from record labels and media companies.

As a freemium service, basic features are free with advertisements and limited control, while additional features, such as offline listening and commercial-free listening, are offered via paid subscriptions. Users can search for music based on artist, album, or genre, and can create, edit, and share playlists.