By OLA MUDOPE, Lagos –
Spotify, global streaming platform, says the African Heat playlist is mostly streamed in the United States of America, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands and Canada.
Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music for Africa, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Lagos, said this was according to the platform’s findings.
Okumu said that Spotify first introduced African Heat in 2017 and the playlist had grown to become the premier hub for afrobeats on the global streaming platform.
She said the playlist’s growth had been facilitated by a large audience outside of afrobeats’ home region in West Africa.
“According to Spotify data, the U.S., United Kingdom, France, Netherlands and Canada featured in the top 10 markets where African Heat is streamed.
“Nigeria and Kenya are the playlists leading African markets, with South Africa and Ghana also making an appearance in the top ten markets streaming the playlist.
“As Spotify’s flagship playlist for African music, African Heat curates the continent’s incredible content and culture for a global audience.
“It has become the nucleus of a global community of Afrobeats fans and we are excited to see its reach grow and take afrobeats to more global ears,” she said.
Okumu also said that Spotify’s data revealed that, while African Heat had listeners during every hour of the day, most fans listened to the playlist between the hours of 4:00p.m. and 6:00p.m.
She said listenership gets to the peak at exactly 5:00p.m. each day when the playlist has the most streams.
“Across all markets, African Heat appeals to fans of all ages, a trend that is in keeping with the widespread appeal of afrobeats.
“It should be no surprise that Gen Z leads the charge. Listeners aged 18-24 provide more than a quarter of African Heat’s streams, more than any other age group.
“Following closely are 25-29 year olds, then 30-34 year olds. The digital-first generations are an army of eager proponents that have propelled afrobeats to success through viral moments and ardent fandom on social media.
Okumu explained that for ardent fans and casual listeners of afrobeats, both at home and in the diaspora, Spotify’s African Heat is an important resource for music discovery and a growing catalogue of the genre’s global success.
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