Global streaming platform, Spotify, has launched Global Afrobeats Playlist, designed to celebrate the sound that has moved from the club to the charts and beyond.
According to data from Spotify, between 2020 and 2025, the number of user-generated playlists that use Afrobeats grew by 135 per cent.
The top three playlists shaping Gen Z listening in the genre’s birthplace are Hot Hits Naija, Gbedu, and Street Energy, capturing the raw, street-driven pulse of Nigerian youth culture. The Afro Adura playlist, for instance, saw its average monthly plays jump by 51 per cent, a clear sign that the genre’s appeal is both broad and deep.
The growing influence of this sound from Africa inspired Spotify to amplify Afrobeats’ status as a global powerhouse by creating the new Global Afrobeats Playlist.
Beyond Africa, Afrobeats is seeing a massive increase in Asia, with Indonesia, India, the Philippines, and Thailand becoming major hotspots.
In 2020, these markets experienced significant growth: Indonesia at a 4,530 per cent increase, India at 1,650 per cent, the Philippines at 1,492 per cent, and Thailand at 1,370 per cent. The genre’s popularity in the Latin America region has also seen a remarkable 183 per cent year-on-year growth in 2025, underscoring its broad and international appeal.
“The launch of our Global Afrobeats Playlist isn’t about Spotify leading the charge, it’s about us following the fans.
“The data shows a wave of listener-driven curation, and this playlist is our way of celebrating that momentum.
“We are simply giving due recognition to the voices of a new generation who have made Afrobeats a global force, and we are thrilled to provide a definitive home for this vibrant and ever-evolving genre,” the Senior Music Editor for Sub-Saharan Africa at Spotify, Benewaah Boateng, stated.