Embracing the influence of Spotify’s African Heat in your life

For dedicated Afrobeats enthusiasts and casual listeners, both within Africa and the diaspora, Spotify’s African Heat has become an invaluable resource for music exploration and a thriving repository of the genre’s global triumphs.

Introduced by Spotify in 2017, African Heat has emerged as the premier destination for Afrobeats on the worldwide streaming platform.

Whether fans are seeking fresh sounds or newcomers yearn for an introduction to the genre, staying connected to African Heat offers a vibrant source of the hottest tracks from the continent, featuring leading voices like Ayra Starr and Sha Sha.

In fact, securing a spot on this playlist has become a precursor to achieving global success, with songs initially featured on African Heat, such as Rema’s ‘Calm Down,’ going on to become some of the most streamed Afrobeats records on the platform.

Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music for Africa, explains, “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’re thrilled to witness its expanding reach, bringing Afrobeats to even more global ears.”

The playlist’s growth has been propelled by a substantial audience beyond Afrobeats’ home region in West Africa.

Spotify data reveals that the United States, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, and Canada are among the top 10 markets streaming African Heat.

Nigeria and Kenya lead as the playlist’s top African markets, with South Africa and Ghana also making appearances in the list of top ten streaming markets.

African Heat’s appeal extends across diverse age groups, reflecting the widespread popularity of Afrobeats. However, it comes as no surprise that Generation Z leads the charge, as listeners aged 18-24 contribute to over a quarter of the playlist’s streams, surpassing other age groups.

Following closely are listeners aged 25-29, and then 30-34. These digitally native generations have become fervent supporters, propelling Afrobeats to success through viral moments and passionate fandom on social media.

Regardless of whether you are 19 or 90, if you listen to Afrobeats on Spotify, chances are African Heat has found its way into a cherished spot in your daily routine.

Spotify data reveals that while the playlist garners listeners throughout the day, its peak streaming hours are between 4-6 pm—the time when daily obligations wind down.

The playlist experiences its highest listenership at 5 pm each day.

Curious about how much of your day is dedicated to this hub of African music? Spotify’s data indicates that the average listener spends 25 minutes streaming African Heat.

With over a million followers worldwide and an extensive array of African content to choose from, these interactions have collectively contributed to the playlist surpassing the milestone of 500 million streams in 2023.

Stream the ‘African Heat’ playlist below;