Spotify has officially launched “Afrobeats: Culture in Motion,” a global project chronicling the last five years of the genre’s explosive evolution and the artists shaping its next chapter.
According to Spotify, Afrobeats has generated more than 240 million global discoveries in the past year alone, underscoring its dominance as one of the fastest-growing cultural exports from Africa.
The project includes “Culture in Motion“, a new documentary capturing the movement through the eyes of emerging acts like Ghana’s own Lasmid, as well as an immersive microsite hosted on Spotify’s newsroom, “For the Record”. The microsite breaks down Afrobeats’ journey across five pillars: sound, expansion, women, visuals, and community, through exclusive interviews, expert insights, and fresh streaming data.
Key Insights From Spotify’s Report
- Sound Evolution: Introspective and emotionally charged vocals now account for 38% of global Afrobeats streams.
- Latin America Expansion: Listenership in the region has soared 180% year-on-year, with Brazil seeing a 500% increase since 2020.
- Women of Afrobeats: Tems became the first African female artist to surpass 1 billion Spotify streams for a single track, while Ayra Starr’s streams in Nigeria have grown over 3,000% since 2020.
- Visual Language: From Rema’s historic O2 Arena performance to Tems’ global fashion moments at the Oscars and the Met Gala, Afrobeats’ visuals are defining culture alongside the music.
- Culture and Community: Fan-driven communities are now key tastemakers, reshaping discovery in real time.
Check the Report in Graphics
The report highlights Ghana as one of Afrobeats’ most loyal markets. Ghanaians are streaming the genre at record levels, with over 38 million plays each month in 2024.
Accra has emerged as one of the world’s top cities for Afrobeats streaming, ranking alongside London and Paris. Much of this momentum is driven by Gen Z listeners, with 18–24-year-olds accounting for 45% of the country’s Afrobeats audience.
With “Afrobeats: Culture in Motion”, Spotify sticks to its commitment to not only document the rise of a global genre but also amplify the voices and communities that keep its pulse alive.
