Spotify is dedicated to lifting up the voices and contributions of all artists, creators, and authors. This Pride Month and beyond, we’re also taking a moment to showcase the continued growth and impact of GLOW, our global music platform that amplifies LGBTQIA+ creators and celebrates their contributions to music and culture year-round.
GLOW’s ongoing global impact
Available in more than 50 countries, the GLOW hub is a key destination for fans looking to discover and celebrate LGBTQIA+ sounds.
Since launching in January 2023, the program has also supported more than 100 GLOW ambassadors with marketing, editorial, and partnership opportunities in their home countries and beyond. These artists have been featured across our GLOW playlists, appeared in GLOW billboard ads in cities like New York, London, and Bangkok, and shared their stories across our global and local social channels. Additionally, GLOW playlists have racked up more than 371 million streams and enabled more than 86 million discoveries.
LGBTQIA+ artists who GLOW
Our GLOW hub serves as a dedicated space to highlight offerings from LGBTQIA+ voices, with curated selections and monthly campaigns supporting spotlight artists. We’ve collaborated with artists at various stages in their careers, from Trixie Mattel (U.S.) to LUDMILLA (Brazil) and MOONGA K. (South Africa) to Jean Seizure (Singapore).
We’ve refreshed our flagship GLOW playlist with tracks from LGBTQIA+ artists, and this June, we’re highlighting six exceptional GLOW spotlight artists from around the world: Esteman (Colombia), RUSLANA (Spain), Hakushi Hasegawa (Japan), ALIE BLACKCOBRA (Thailand), Craig Lucas (South Africa), and Sophie and the Giants (U.K.), representing a range of genres and perspectives and showcasing the breadth of talent within the community.
Brazil’s music industry is in the midst of a historic transformation—and Spotify continues to help illuminate the path. Our most recent Loud & Clear report, which offers a transparent and data-rich snapshot of the streaming economy’s powerful role in fueling the music industry’s record-breaking growth, shows that Spotify paid out over $10 billion to the music industry—more than any single company ever has in one year—while contributing to a global subscriber base that now exceeds 500 million.
In 2024 alone, Brazilian artists generated over BRL 1.6 billion in royalties from Spotify—an incredible 31% jump from the previous year, and more than double their 2021 earnings. This growth outpaces the entire Brazilian music market, the ninth largest in the world, showing how Spotify is fueling real momentum for local creators. Even more impressive: Over 60% of the royalties generated in Brazil stayed local, and Brazilian rights-holders also made up 84% of the country’s Daily Top 50 tracks.
“Royalties generated on Spotify for Brazilian artists are rising faster than Brazil’s music market as a whole. Our Loud & Clear report lays those gains out in black and white, while Spotify for Artists lets every creator see their own performance in real time. Together, that transparency gives musicians the confidence to turn momentum into the next single, a bigger tour, or an ambitious new project,” says Carolina Alzuguir, Head of Music at Spotify Brazil.
Impact that reaches far beyond hits and charts
The success of Brazilian music and artists comes, in part, from strong, consistent engagement with fans—proving that long-term growth beats fleeting virality. Spotify’s freemium model, with its ad-supported and Premium tiers, has helped convert casual listeners into lifelong fans in a country where piracy once dominated.
The results speak for themselves: More than 25 million hours of Brazilian music are streamed within the country and across the globe every day, and over 815 million user playlists feature Brazilian artists. Music in Portuguese is booming too, with royalties from these tracks growing 20% year over year, and more than doubling since 2021.
Partners in progress
Tools like Spotify for Artists and Loud & Clear equip creators with the insights they need to succeed. Brazilian music is now more global, diverse, and influential than ever. For example, female Brazilian artists—like MC STER, Anitta, and Bibi Babydoll—are making historic gains, with their international streams rising 51% in 2024 alone. Meanwhile, nearly 11.8 billion first-time discoveries of Brazilian artists took place this year, a year-over-year increase of 19%, connecting these artists with fans around the world—from Mexico and the U.S. to Germany and Spain.
By closing historical gaps and amplifying underrepresented voices, Spotify is building a more inclusive and equitable global music economy—where any artist, anywhere, can thrive on their own terms.
“Before the paycheck, there’s discovery. Last year, Brazilian songs sparked billions of first-time listens and showed up in hundreds of millions of playlists on Spotify. Artists watch that rise live in Spotify for Artists, greet new listeners right away, and turn first plays into loyal fans. That feedback loop transforms curiosity into community, and community is what powers a career,” said Carolina.
Want to dive deeper into how Spotify is reshaping Brazil’s music industry? Explore more stories, stats, and artist milestones on our Brasil 10Anos feature, which celebrates our tenth anniversary in the country.
A indústria musical do Brasil está passando por uma transformação histórica — e o Spotify segue iluminando esse caminho. A versão mais recente do relatório Loud & Clear, oferece um panorama transparente e rico em dados sobre o papel fundamental do streaming no crescimento recorde da indústria da música, e mostra que o Spotify pagou mais de $10 bilhões à indústria musical global — mais do que qualquer outra empresa em um único ano —, ao mesmo tempo em que contribuiu para uma base de usuários global que já ultrapassa os 500 milhões.
Só em 2024, artistas brasileiros geraram mais de R$1.6 bilhão em royalties por meio do Spotify — um aumento impressionante de 31% em relação ao ano anterior, e mais que o dobro do que foi registrado em 2021. Esse avanço supera o crescimento do próprio mercado fonográfico brasileiro, hoje o nono maior do mundo em receita, e comprova que o Spotify está gerando um impacto real para os artistas locais. Mais impressionante ainda: mais de 60% dos royalties gerados no país permaneceram aqui, e artistas brasileiros ocuparam 84% do Top 50 diário do Spotify Brasil.
“Os royalties gerados no Spotify por artistas brasileiros estão crescendo mais rápido do que o mercado musical brasileiro. Nosso relatório Loud & Clear apresenta esses ganhos de forma clara e direta, enquanto o Spotify for Artists permite que cada criador acompanhe seu próprio desempenho em tempo real. Essa transparência dá aos músicos a confiança para transformar esse impulso no próximo single, em uma turnê maior ou em um novo projeto ambicioso”, afirma Carolina Alzuguir, Head de Música do Spotify Brasil.
Impacto que vai além dos charts
O sucesso da música e dos artistas brasileiros vem, em grande parte, do engajamento contínuo com os fãs — mostrando que sustentar uma conexão é mais valioso do que viralizações passageiras. O modelo freemium do Spotify, com planos com e sem anúncios, ajudou a converter ouvintes casuais em fãs fiéis em um país que já foi dominado pela pirataria.
Os resultados falam por si: são mais de 25 milhões de horas de música brasileira ouvidas por dia, dentro e fora do país, e mais de 815 milhões de playlists de usuários com faixas de artistas do Brasil. A música em português também está em alta, com royalties dessas faixas crescendo 20% ano a ano — e mais do que dobrando desde 2021.
Parceria para o progresso
Ferramentas como o Spotify for Artists e o próprio Loud & Clear ajudam os criadores com os insights de que precisam para avançar. Hoje, a música brasileira está mais global, diversa e influente do que nunca. Artistas brasileiras como MC STER, Anitta e Bibi Babydoll, por exemplo, estão batendo recordes, com aumento de 51% nos streams internacionais só em 2024. E mais: quase 11,8 bilhões de descobertas de artistas brasileiros aconteceram este ano — um crescimento de 19% em relação a 2023 — conectando esses talentos a ouvintes em lugares como México, EUA, Alemanha e Espanha.
Ao reduzir lacunas históricas e amplificar vozes sub-representadas, o Spotify está ajudando a construir uma economia musical mais inclusiva e justa — onde qualquer artista, em qualquer lugar, pode crescer com autonomia.
“Antes do pagamento, vem a descoberta. No ano passado, músicas brasileiras geraram bilhões de primeiras reproduções e apareceram em centenas de milhões de playlists no Spotify. Os artistas acompanham esse crescimento em tempo real pelo Spotify for Artists, dão boas-vindas aos novos ouvintes imediatamente e transformam a primeira escuta em fãs fieis. Esse ciclo de retorno transforma curiosidade em comunidade — e é a comunidade que impulsiona uma carreira”, conclui Carolina.
Quer explorar mais sobre como o Spotify está transformando a música no Brasil? Acesse nosso especialBrasil 10 Anos, que celebra uma década de Spotify no país, e confira histórias, dados e marcos de artistas
It’s officially summer on Spotify and, once again, our team of best-in-class global music editors is revealing Spotify’s Songs of Summer 2025 predictions for the Northern Hemisphere.
With a proven track record of predicting the summer’s biggest songs, Spotify’s editorial team blends cultural expertise, editorial instinct, and streaming data to curate our annual Songs of Summer list—cementing Spotify as the ultimate destination for summer listening.
This summer’s hottest tracks capture many musical movements across regions and styles, and the 30 initial picks from our editors represent a little bit of everything.
The biggest trends shaping this year’s Songs of Summer
As these hits promise to heat up the summer, our editors are seeing a number of trends unfold, including:
Global spread of Afro-fusion: Songs like “Show Me Love” by WizTheMc, bees & honey, and Tyla—which fuses electronic, Afrobeats and R&B—and “YA BABA” by DYSTINCT and French Montana—which blends Moroccan Arabic with French— are boiling over across Africa, Europe, and the United States.
Our editors will be watching (and listening) all summer long as new music drops, unexpected hits take off, and the listening landscape evolves—so, be on the lookout for updates to our list here and across Spotify News social channels.
Listen to all our editors’ picks in the 2025 Songs of Summer playlist:
In 2014, the music industry reached a low point when global recorded music revenues hit $13 billion. Spotify’s annual contribution at the time was around $1 billion, with around 15 million paying subscribers.
In 2024, Spotify alone paid out a record $10 billion to the music industry—totaling nearly $60 billion since our founding.
For a lot of people, those numbers might go in one ear and out the other. And they’d perhaps ask why Spotify keeps shouting about it.
It’s because the system we’ve built together is working, and where we are now is only the beginning. Today, there are more than 500 million paying listeners across all music streaming services. A world with 1 billion paying listeners is a realistic goal we should collectively set.
Growing the Pie
There’s a vibrant marketplace of streaming services for different types of consumers, each doing its part to normalize the behavior of paying for music streaming. It’s been a collective effort. But there are a few things specific to Spotify that make it not only the most popular subscription streaming service but also the highest paying.
Retention is priority number one, and retention is driven by personalization, curation, and product innovation. Fans like the recommendations, the expert editorial curation, and surprise-and-delight moments like AI DJ, daylist, and Wrapped, as well as the access to non-music content. They keep coming back, discovering more new artists, and retaining their subscriptions.
We offer an ad-supported free tier, while some services don’t. Beyond the ad dollars this generates, more than 60% of Premium subscribers were once free tier users. Bringing in users who don’t expect to pay for music, and deepening their engagement, means they’re more inclined to become subscribers in the future.
We’re available in more markets and at local price points, meeting people where they are. A decade ago, there was a widely held view that you couldn’t monetize certain markets. But the journey of getting the world to pay for music means making long-term investments. Today, we’re seeing tremendous growth across markets like India, Brazil, Mexico, and Nigeria. These are places where our investments are paying off.
That’s our blueprint and it’s working.
Growing Careers Beyond the Superstars
I recently read a data point from economist Will Page that said more music is released in a single day than there was in the entirety of 1989. In the pre-streaming era, you were either in the club or not. If you didn’t have a label deal or the means to distribute your music worldwide, you weren’t one of the few thousand artists on shelves at a record store or one of the 40 in rotation on a radio station.
Now, you can record something today and have it on Spotify tomorrow. Everyone’s invited. Even better, payments to the music industry have shifted from a concentrated few at the top to an increasingly diverse and growing ecosystem of artists finding success.
Case in point, we estimate that, in 2014, around 10,000 artists generated at least $10,000 per year on Spotify. Today, well over 10,000 artists generate over $100,000 per year from Spotify alone. That’s a beautiful thing.
Think about this: Last year’s IFPI report indicated that Spotify contributes roughly a third of global recorded streaming revenue. But a recent comprehensive study of independent labels and distributors from MIDiA Research showed that Spotify represents more than half of indies’ streaming revenue. What this indicates is that Spotify’s model is uniquely enabling more room for more artists to find success and ultimately sustain a career in music, demonstrating real change across the music business.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Without a doubt, this has been a decade of unparalleled transformation. The global value of music copyright today sits at $45.5 billion. A decade on from its low point, how many other industries have experienced this kind of revival?
Our goal is to help artists get their work in front of existing and future fans, continue to innovate on their behalf, and deliver it in a way that inspires people to pay for it. Onboarding people to paid streaming is precisely what has increased our payouts—tenfold—over the past decade.
Reaching 1 billion paid subscribers across all streaming services will be a collaborative effort, requiring innovation, strategic partnerships, and a continued focus on delivering exceptional value to music fans worldwide. It’s a goal we’re confident we can achieve together.
At Spotify, we know our users like to flex their creativity. We’ve seen this come to life across the more than 8 billion playlists listeners have created to soundtrack their musical moods, milestones, and every moment in between. Now we’re giving music fans the power to design and customize their own playlist cover art so their playlists can always look as good as they sound.
Rolling out in beta on the Spotify mobile app today, the new feature offers both Free and Premium users the ability to create their own cover art with unique images, colors and text effects, graphic elements, and more, allowing them to make their music playlists more unique and personalized than ever before.
Creating cover art on Spotify
All you need is a mobile device to access and use this feature. Whether you’re on iOS or Android, head to the Spotify mobile app (make sure it’s up to date) and select a playlist that you personally created or create a new one.
Tap the three-dot menu on the playlist page and then select “Create cover art” within the menu options.
From there, you can upload an original photo of your own and add or update a variety of elements, including:
Text styles, colors, and effects featuring our custom typeface, Spotify Mix.
Once complete, your playlist will be updated with your new cover art, and you can share your creation directly with friends or on social media platforms.
Pro tip: You can only save one custom cover art per playlist at a time, and each new cover you create will override the previous one for that specific playlist. If you’d like to create multiple covers for a playlist, make a copy of the playlist first. The easiest way to do that is to open the playlist you wish to copy, tap the three-dot menu, select “Add to other playlist,” and then tap “New playlist” to create your copy.
With the feature currently available in beta to users in English in 65 markets, we’re excited for fans to personalize their music playlists like never before. We’ll keep innovating and expanding the tool, so stay tuned for what’s to come.
Get inspired by the experts
As part of the launch, we’ve partnered with music artists, visual creators, and artists behind some of the world’s most iconic album art to empower listeners to unlock a new level of creativity and individuality. Each used the new feature to create unique cover art for one of their playlists on Spotify.
We know that when fans fall in love with an artist, they can’t get enough. So when you want to connect with your favorites on a deeper level, Spotify is your go-to destination. Fans and artists interact in many different ways, especially when they’re crossing languages, borders, and cultures. Whether you’re looking to show your support IRL or hear directly from your favorite artists, here are some ways you can strengthen your relationships with the artists you love on Spotify: Listening Parties, Countdown Pages, the Live Events feed, and Clips from your artists.
Listening Parties
Listening Parties are the live audio experience where you’ll join your favorite artists and other top fans to celebrate their new music releases. In the party you can hear behind-the-scenes artist stories, chat in real time with other fans, and listen to the music you love with the artist who made it.
Listening Parties are available to Premium subscribers in the U.S., ID, MX, and CA.
Countdown Pages
Countdown Pages are the place to be when you’re eagerly waiting for your favorite artists to release new music. With Countdown Pages, fans can presave an artist’s music, preview the tracklist, watch Clips, and get their hands on must-have merch via the artist profile, Now Playing view, Search, and Home.
After you presave an album, you’ll receive a push notification on release day so that you know it’s been added to Your Library. No more missing new music!
Countdown Pages are available to Free and Premium subscribers in all Spotify markets.
Live Events feed
Our Live Events feed makes concert discovery seamless, tailored, and fun, so you never miss a show when artists you love are in town. Not only can you find concert listings based on your location and top artists, but you can also browse upcoming concerts in other cities and countries—all personalized to your taste.
Live Events Feed is available to Free and Premium subscribers in all Spotify markets.
Clips from artists
Watching Clips from artists you care about is the best way to dive deeper into their worlds. These short vertical videos let you discover unreleased tracks, hear the story behind a new song, view live performances, and so much more. All Clips are tagged to tracks so that you can easily follow, save, and stream music right from the video. You can watch Clips on Home, the Now Playing view, Countdown Pages, release pages, and more, making it easier for you to find them and create an even deeper connection with artists.
Artists’ Clips are available to Free and Premium subscribers in 78 markets.
Recent years have seen the emergence of groundbreaking talent from cultural hot spots across Latin America. Propelled by the power of streaming, Latin beats are reshaping the rhythm of global music. Argentina is home to a number of these artists, with hitmakers like Maria Becerra and Bizarrap breaking down barriers and bringing their music to fans around the world.
At Spotify, we’re committed to elevating Argentine artists to the global stage. And now, we’re proud to present Casa Spotify Buenos Aires, a new space for Argentine creators located in the heart of the city’s art scene.
A place for creators to hone their craft
This vibrant space will bring artists, producers, podcasters, and fans together year-round, offering a unique environment for inspiration, growth, and collaboration. With a podcast studio, listening rooms, an acoustic performance space, and more, Casa Spotify Buenos Aires is where every visitor can find their voice.
“At Spotify, we firmly believe in the power of music to connect people and strengthen communities, and Casa Spotify is the perfect space for that,” said Belen Dantas, Marketing Manager for Spotify’s Southern Cone region. “This venue not only provides artists and creators with a platform to share their creativity but also allows listeners to discover and enjoy a variety of meaningful experiences and connections, fostering a sense of belonging within our global community.”
At Spotify, we believe that artists deserve clarity when it comes to the economics of music streaming—that’s why we publish data showing our impact on the industry every year. That information lives on Loud & Clear, our resource for artists and industry professionals that breaks down the global streaming economy, the players, and the process.
Today, we unveiled new and updated information and data on Loud & Clear, including figures from 2023 that show further meaningful progress toward a more diverse and level music industry. The big picture? Streaming has continued to create more room for more artists to find success, demonstrating real change across the business.
The latest data shows that the industry is less top-heavy than ever, with more artists having a true seat at the table and the ability to make money from their art. Last year Spotify raised the bar, recording the highest annual payment to the music industry from any single retailer. And for the first year ever, the catalog of DIY artists and artists signed to independent record labels accounted for about half of what the entire industry generated on Spotify in 2023.
Here are the highlights from our annual music economics report.
Spotify’s Record Payouts
These payouts have resulted in record revenues and growth for rights holders on behalf of artists and songwriters.
More Money at Every Level
Spotify royalties are powering artists’ careers at all stages. And these figures only represent revenue generated from Spotify. Artists likely generated 4x this revenue from recorded music sources overall, plus additional revenue from concert tickets and merch.
A Record Year for Indies
In fact, this is the highest amount indies have ever generated from a single retailer in one year and represents a 4x increase since 2017.
The Unexpected Millionaires
In the streaming era, the charts aren’t big enough to showcase all the artists who are finding success. Fans’ tastes are more diverse, and a bigger royalty pool means more revenue for a wider range of artists.
Artist Career Growth
Careers don’t just begin on Spotify, they grow on Spotify. We remain committed to helping emerging and professional artists make a sustained living off their work year after year.
For more of our top findings, as well as context from the industry at large, additional reports, and FAQs, head to Loud & Clear.
In particular, Spotify has featured a number of African artists in these moments throughout our partnership. We’ve played their songs through stadium speakers, showcased their names pitch-side on LED screens during matches, and added their tracks to playlists on the official FC Barcelona page on Spotify so that fans worldwide can enjoy the exposure this partnership has offered them. With 23 million FC Barcelona fans in the Middle East and Africa, this also marked a great opportunity to bring their local talent to a grand, global stage. And now, artists like ODUMODUBLVCK, Pabi Cooper, Teni, and Ch’cco are front and center in our latest video campaign.
We also took a selection of Egyptian creators, like professional football presenter Ibrahim Fayek, on an exclusive tour to watch FC Barcelona matches.
Read on to get to know the 20 dynamic artists who have commanded the spotlight alongside FC Barcelona.
Afroto
Egypt
Since emerging on the scene in 2016, rapper Afroto has won over fans with hit singles like “Brazil” and “7ALA.”
Amir Eid
Egypt
A singer, composer, guitarist, and actor, Amir Eid is best known as the lead singer of Cairokee, one of Egypt’s top rock bands.
A-Reece
South Africa
Rapper A-Reece’s career took off with the release of his best-known single, “Mgani”; and following the release of his debut album, heaveN caN waiT: thE narroW dooR (vol.1), in 2021, his star has continued to rise.
BNXN
Nigeria
Following the release of “Spiritual,” his 2019 collaboration with Zlatan, Afro-fusion artist Bnxn (fka Buju) has gained attention for his infectious hooks, which have featured on other popular Afropop songs over the years.
Ch’cco
South Africa
After the popular choreography-infused song “Nkao Tempela” became a viral hit in 2019, Ch’cco immediately became a name to remember. Since then, he followed up with hit single “Pele Pele” and was featured on Pabi Cooper’s 2022 hit “Banyana Ke Bafana.”
CKay
Nigeria
With one of the most popular Afrobeats songs of all time, “love nwantiti (ah ah ah),” to his name, CKay is one of the Nigerian artists responsible for turning Afrobeats into a global phenomenon.
Davido
Nigeria
One of the most popular afrobeats artists in the world, Davido is referred to as “OBO” by his fans. In 2019, his smash hit “Fall” made history when it became one of the longest-charting Nigerian pop songs, and he reached new heights in 2023 with “UNAVAILABLE,” his collaboration with Musa Keys.
Essam Sasa
Egypt
One of the fastest-rising artists to come out of the region recently, Essam Sasa continues to peak on Spotify’s Egypt charts with hits like “Yalla Nedy Lely Baana Bosa.” The pop star is known for his contemporary take on traditional genres, like Shaabi music.
Fireboy DML
Nigeria
After his hit single “Scatter” was included on EA’s FIFA 21 Soundtrack, Fireboy DML quickly made a name for himself around the world. In 2022, the singer released his third studio album, Playboy, to great fanfare.
Joeboy
Nigeria
Popular among Gen Zs and millennials due to his timeless love songs, Joeboy caught everyone’s attention with his 2019 hit “Baby” and has since been able to establish himself as one of the finest voices in Afrobeats and R&B.
Lloyiso
South Africa
When Lloyiso released “Nontsikelelo” in 2018, he reminded the music industry why he placed in the top five of the popular singing competition Idols SA as a 16-year-old back in 2015. Today, the 24-year-old is a mainstay on local and international stages, opening for renowned artists such as Tamia.
Major League Djz
South Africa
Credited with amplifying the global presence of amapiano, Major League Djz are a cornerstone of South Africa’s music scene. Their popular releases, “Ndikuze” and “Shoota Moghel,” continue to dominate the dance floors from Mamelodi to Soweto.
ODUMODUBLVCK
Nigeria
Starting his music journey in Abuja, rapper ODUMODUBLVCK rose to fame with his breakthrough song “Picanto.” Earlier this year, he took over the airwaves with his hit “Declan Rice,” catching the attention of the professional footballer following its release.
Olamide
Nigeria
The success of many street pop and Afrobeats artists can be linked to Olamide, whose record label YBNL is home to like-minded artists Fireboy DML and Asake. His debut single, “Eni Duro,” propelled Olamide to stardom in 2010 and he has since become one of the most revered figures in the Nigerian music scene, most notably releasing the hit single “Infinity” withOmah Lay in 2020.
Pabi Cooper
South Africa
Also known as “Pretoria’s finest,” Pabi Cooper traded her life as an influencer and content creator for one as an artist with the release of her 2021 single “Isiphithiphithi.” One of the most recognizable amapiano artists in South Africa, she has gone on to release notable singles like “Waga Bietjie” and “Banyana Ke Bafana.”
SPINALL
Nigeria
An internationally recognized Nigerian DJ and producer, SPINALLis known for his signature hats. His collaborations with Wizkid and Mr Eazi have contributed to his growing popularity around the world.
Teni
Nigeria
Fondly referred to as Teni Makanaki by her fans, this exciting talent introduced herself to the world with her hit 2018 single “Fargin.” Since then, she has successfully challenged gender stereotypes and worked to redefine the modern image of a celebrity, allowing fans to focus on her amazing music, which includes singles like “Case” and the Davido collaboration “FOR YOU.”
Tyla
South Africa
Known as the princess of amapiano, Tyla first gained recognition in 2019 when she dropped her single “Getting Late.” The singer has enjoyed a red-hot 2023, making global waves with her hit single “Water,” which has generated over 120 million streams on Spotify to date, and starring in a RADAR Africa mini-documentary that tracks her ascent to the global spotlight.
Wizkid
Nigeria
Referred to by some as the biggest Afrobeats artist in the world, Wizkid is one of the most influential African artists of all time. He first caught the ears of fans worldwide with his 2014 single “Ojuelegba,” which earned a remix from Drake a year later. His Grammy-nominated collaboration with Tems, “Essence,” was dubbed the best song of the summer by Rolling Stone in 2020. Last year, the star released More Love, Less Ego, his fifth studio album.
Zlatan
Nigeria
Considered the pioneer of the zanku dance style popularized by his single of the same name, Zlatan Ibile shook the streets of Nigeria and has become one of the most buzzed-about artists in the country, also appearing on Chinko Ekun’s 2018 hit “Able God.”
Sub-Saharan Africa is a hotbed of musical talent, especially when it comes to R&B. Our flagship playlist Tantalizers already highlights some of the smoothest acts in the genre, and now, through a partnership with COLORSxSTUDIOS, we are raising the profile of more African R&B artists.
COLORSxSTUDIOS is a unique visual music platform that features artists performing in front of a striking, single-color backdrop with no other people, effects, or visuals. Its goal is to provide a calm, minimalistic stage that gives the artist room to shine. Spotify partnered with the company for a special recording of A COLORS SHOW, the organization’s signature series.
In addition to the live audio-visual experience, Spotify and COLORS partnered to host a writing camp for burgeoning and established songwriters, artists, and producers. Taking place in Nairobi, Kenya, over three days, the camp brought together 18 participants from all over the African diaspora and placed a special emphasis on creative collaboration.
Msaki and Karun
Several of the songwriters, artists, and producers shared what they’ll be walking away with after the experience.
What’s the secret to a successful collaboration with others while working on a new piece?
Bien, artist and songwriter: The secret is vulnerability, as well as an open heart and mind.
Karun,artist and songwriter: I think it’s getting to a place where you understand where someone’s head is at and where they want to take the session. Then you meet halfway. That’s something I learned from this session from this writing camp: Everybody has their own method and their own way of expressing, and when you can find a way to kind of make that mesh without getting in each other’s way, it can be really beautiful.
Xenia Manasseh, artist and songwriter: Risk and trust, combined. And openness. That’s it. They’ll give you everything that you need. They’ll come with what they have. I’ll come with what I have. And if we’re both willing to be open with each other, there’s no way that we’re not going to create magic.
Manana, artist, songwriter, and producer: Humility. To collaborate well I believe you have to leave all ego and arrogance at the door, put the music first, and make that the priority of the session.
Tay Iwar,artist, songwriter, and producer: Openness, positive criticism, patience, and focus . . . every idea has different viability and validity; some are just more effective.
NNAVY, artist and songwriter: A successful songwriting session is one where you feel inspired; where there’s a kind of bubble surrounding the studio and all the people in it. Words are flowing, people are inspired, and every idea makes sense in that moment. Or sometimes a successful songwriting session is when you’ve had an unfinished or blurry idea, then suddenly your lyrics become clearer and you can finally see the direction the track is taking.
Xenia Manasseh
What’s one big takeaway from your songwriting camp experience?
Lisa Oduor-Noah,artist and songwriter: You should always be an avid learner. I think the form a song takes and its melodic qualities are different for so many different artists, especially when you account for different cultural backgrounds. So always be an active learner.
Zowie Kengocha,artist and songwriter: I’ve learned to take risks and freestyle as much as I can, and not be afraid to make mistakes.
Maya Amolo,artist and songwriter: One big takeaway from this experience is that collaboration is everything.
Ukweli,producer: I had a great experience at the writing camp. Getting to work and talk with African artists has reinvigorated my desire to have more collaborations with artists from all over Africa and the diaspora.
Lukorito,producer: There’s value in maintaining your unique identity while collaborating. My most rewarding sessions happened when I trusted my instincts and believed in myself, even when collaborating with more established artists. It reinforced that authenticity is crucial for meaningful collaboration. You have to show up!
MAUIMØON/La Soülchyld, artist, songwriter, and producer: It helped reignite my passion for songwriting. It was great being able to see the other incredible writers and how they think about melodies, lyric choices, and vocal performances. As a producer, it helped me want to focus more on my arrangements and sound selection. It was a great experience that gave me a lot of incredible ideas.
M3,, producer: The importance of collaboration and having fun while creating art. Being in different rooms with so many great musicians and just bouncing ideas off each other was fantastic. It was really encouraging seeing how we perfected someone’s vocal idea or baseline from just an idea in their head. The important thing is that everyone was on the same vibe and enjoyed the moment.
Titose, artist and songwriter: Apart from Kenya being extremely beautiful, and the Spotify and COLORS team being so helpful, it was meeting different artists and songwriters from different parts of Africa. Writing with Berhana, Tay Iwar, Maui, and Xenia sparked my creativity and inspired me to try different songwriting processes. They all had different styles and approaches to writing, which inspired me to try new things in my own music and gave me the desire to pick up a new instrument! It was an eye-opening, wholesome experience that solidified the power we all know music to have—bringing people together!
Mbryo, songwriter: There’s always beauty and magic in collaborating with people of diverse cultures who have different ideas on how good music should sound and feel.
MAUIMØON
Hosting this camp and spotlighting these creators is one way Spotify’s hoping to empower the next generation of emerging artists while celebrating African R&B talent. Listen to more of these artists on our Tantalizers playlist.
En Argentina la semana pasada se reunieron artistas, podcasters, fanáticos y luminarias de la industria en el muy esperado Festival EQUAL de Spotify para celebrar la creatividad y el talento que las mujeres aportan a la escena de la música y los podcasts. El evento es una extensión de nuestro programa EQUAL, cuyo objetivo es contribuir a la equidad de género en la industria musical amplificando y celebrando el trabajo de las creadoras de todo el mundo.
Comenzamos el festival con un evento de dos días en el C Complejo Art Media, que incluyó paneles y presentaciones específicamente dirigidos a mujeres creadoras y artistas, y concluyó con un concierto con entradas agotadas como ningún otro.
Eventos lanzamiento con industria y creadores
“Con el Festival EQUAL, Spotify ha encontrado una oportunidad para mostrarle al país y al mundo lo que los artistas argentinos están generando en la industria”, destacó Bel Aztiria, Global Head EQUAL para Spotify, antes de los paneles y presentaciones..
“Lo que comenzó como una idea en aquel entonces es hoy una realidad. Nos emociona saber que Spotify está a punto de celebrar un hito sin precedentes en el país al reunir a más de 20.000 personas en un solo lugar con un único objetivo común: celebrar el talento de las mujeres argentinas” remarcó Carolina Martin, Artists & Label Partnerships Spotify Cono Sur
Los asistentes escucharon un panel moderado por Carolina y Bel que contó con Barbi Recanati, Sivina Moreno, Juliana Gattas, y Julieta Laso como speakers. Las mujeres compartieron sus sentimientos, ideas y perspectivas sobre el recorrido de las mujeres en la industria local.
Spotify también celebró un Festival de Podcast EQUAL para creadores de podcasts para que las mujeres pudieran compartir sus conocimientos sobre cómo desarrollar carreras de podcasting y promocionar los avances que han logrado en la industria. En el escenario, las creadoras de ConchaPodcast recibieron a Moria Casán hablando sobre el lanzamiento de su podcast Spotify Original, La One.
En otra sesión, Momi Giardina, Mica Vazquez, Marti Benza, y Martu Ortiz, creadoras de LUZU TV, uno de los principales canales de streaming en Argentina, hablaron sobre cómo celebrar el empoderamiento femenino y cuáles son las oportunidades para seguir dando visibilidad a las mujeres en su industria.
Para cerrar el día, Jacinta de Oromí, creadora del podcast TIPO, Marian Soler, creadora del podcast Cebando Flores, and Buera, creadora del podcast ¿estás?, subieron al escenario para compartir sus tips y recomendaciones para la creación de contenido.
Recent Comments