The Top 20: Unpacking Kenyan artists’ Spotify Monthly Listener numbers

1 May 2024

In the vibrant music scene that is Kenya, you’ll find a diverse array of artists captivating audiences locally and internationally. Representing distinct genres and styles, these musicians have built significant audiences on streaming platforms, starting with YouTube, Boomplay and now Spotify.

But how well does Kenyan music perform on Spotify? While our Spotify numbers may not yet match those of larger African markets like Nigeria and South Africa, we are steadily gaining ground on the streaming platform, making these numbers worth examining.

Leading other Kenyan artists in terms of Spotify monthly listeners is Sofiya Nzau, a talented vocalist who has taken the global dance music scene by storm. Propelled by her Zerb-produced smash hit “Mwaki”, as well as collaborations with the likes of PLSTY, she now has more than 8 million monthly listeners. Coming second is Idd Aziz, another Kenyan artist proving to be a go-to vocalist for house music producers. Given the global nature of the records these two have been involved in, Idd and Sofiya’s listenership is spread across the world. The rest of the musicians in the top 20 have majority of their listeners from Nairobi.

Bien and his group Sauti Sol, take the third and fourth spots, respectively. About a third of their Spotify listeners are from the Kenyan Capital. Otile Brown, Boutross, Nikita Kering’, Bensoul, Nyashinski and LilMaina wrap up the top ten list of most listened-to acts on Spotify.

In terms of genres represented in the top 20, there is rap music, afro pop, house, R&B, gengetone. This proves that Kenya is a melting pot of creative expression.

Do check out the whole list below. For each artist, you’ll see their Spotify monthly listeners, top city, those listening from that city, and the percentages.

Artist Name	Spotify Monthly Listeners	Top City	Top City Monthly Listeners	Top City Percentage
1. Sofiya Nzau	8,725,078	Amsterdam	243,342	2.79%
2. Idd Aziz	757,923	Paris	16,212	2.14%
3. Bien	594,547	Nairobi	192,131	32.32%
4. Sauti Sol	478,445	Nairobi	157,296	32.88%
5. Otile Brown	307,272	Nairobi	91,308	29.72%
6. Boutross	216,956	Nairobi	78,850	36.34%
7. Nikita Kering’	214,248	Nairobi	63,926	29.84%
8. Bensoul	208,298	Nairobi	120,611	57.9%
9. Nyashinski	188,452	Nairobi	119,300	63.31%
10. LilMaina	173,532	Nairobi	146,406	84.37%
11. Wakadinali	153,765	Nairobi	126,709	82.4%
12. Scar	150,541	Nairobi	118,021	78.4%
13. Okello Max	146,075	Nairobi	93,312	63.88%
14. Chris Kaiga	143,941	Nairobi	100,324	69.7%
15. Soundkraft	127,520	Nairobi	103,758	81.37%
16. Xenia Manasseh	120,228	Nairobi	26,987	22.45%
17. Nviiri The Storyteller	119,704	Nairobi	72,552	60.61%
18. Matata	113,255	Nairobi	61,047	53.90%
19. Karun	113,115	Nairobi	24,977	22.08%
20. Khaligraph	98,146	Nairobi	57,402	58.49%