2025 is set to be a pivotal year for the music industry, marked by unprecedented global connectivity, technological ingenuities and shifting consumer habits.

As the boundaries between local and global markets continue to blur, the Nigerian music scene is likely to undergo significant changes. From the proliferation of digital audio workstations to the resurgence of cultural nostalgia, this year’s trends will redefine the music creation, promotion and consumption landscape.

Here are my key predictions for the music industry in 2025: African artistes living abroad will continue to make waves globally, as their music connects diverse audiences while maintaining strong ties to their cultural roots. The African diaspora’s influence on global music is undeniable, with a larger percentage of ticket, tour, and merchandise sales coming from abroad.

Artistes such as Mannywellz, Darkoo, and Odeal exemplify this trend. They create music that is sensational and catchy, which ultimately goes viral on social media.

Mannywellz’s single “Ouu wee (brown)”, released in 2024, sparked a sensation and became ingrained in the minds of Gen Z, who converged on TikTok and Instagram.

Darkoo also made an impact with her single “Favorite Girl”, collaborating with Rema on the remix. This year, Darkoo sampled a P-Square classic for her latest release, “Focus On Me (All The Sexy Girls In The Club)”, a catchy anthem infused with a unique blend of Afrobeats, Dancehall, and UK Rap elements. Another notable Diaspora artist is Odeal, with his “Lustropolis EP”. African artistes in the Diaspora are undoubtedly in their musical element and are on a remarkable run.

Platforms like Splice are gaining traction, and the music production community will witness a significant surge in activity. Producers are turning to digital audio workstations like Splice for their wide range of tools and sample packs. The rise in participation will fuel a more competitive landscape, where producers must vie for skill, creativity, and commercial value.

Consequently, this shift in music production has led to a situation where numerous artistes and producers no longer create music from scratch. Instead, they rely on sampling and purchasing plugins and music packs, resulting in an increase in music and compositions that sound similar. A recent example of this phenomenon is the snippet of the song produced by Niphkeys for Odumodublvck. An artiste accused Niphkeys of plagiarising his music, but it transpired that Niphkeys had used the same sample as the artiste, sourced from Splice.

This incident highlights a trend that is likely to continue, with music creatives increasingly relying on Splice’s sample library. With more creatives discovering Splice and its offerings for producers, this trend is expected to gain momentum.

Gospel music, traditionally a niche genre, will continue to blend with pop and mainstream sounds, gaining more widespread recognition. Anendlessocean has considerable appeal amongst young people in the mainstream, with songs such as “Gratitude” and “Juba”. Victor Thompson’s “This Year (Blessings)” can be deemed a hit song, particularly with its remix featuring American hip-hop artist Gunna.

What better exemplifies mainstream success? Within the Afro-Gospel scene, Limoblaze, Prinx Emmanuel, Greatman, Angeloh and numerous others are at the forefront of spreading the Gospel to a broader audience through urban, contemporary, and fusion sounds. Their music has gained significant traction, catapulting them to superstardom in the mainstream. Their impressive streaming numbers reflect their success. This achievement is certainly worthy of applause.

The success of Nigerian Gospel Music has yielded partnerships with prominent streaming platforms. For instance, Spotify has collaborated with Afro-Gospel artistes, investing in their events and curating editorial playlists tailored to Gospel and Afro-Gospel music in Nigeria. Similarly, Audiomack and other streaming platforms have increased their Gospel playlists, breaking Nigerian and African Gospel music into various genres and categories to promote inclusivity.

House music events, parties, and raves are becoming increasingly popular in Nigerian urban cities, and will soon rival traditional club nights. Larger crowds are flocking to these events, which are curated beyond the typical club scene, making them a key part of urban nightlife. This trend will change the way people go out, as house music events become important cultural and social events in cities worldwide.

The Lagos rave scene is a good example of this. Lagos is famous for Afrobeats and its lively party culture, and now it also has a thriving community of young people who enjoy house music and rave parties. They go to impromptu venues to listen to energetic house tracks, and enjoy the welcoming and inclusive atmosphere of rave culture.

Electronic dance music (EDM) is now gaining immense popularity in Nigeria, with many young people embracing the genre. Some notable examples of house music events and rave parties in Lagos include: “Element House” by Spektrum Ent.; “Monochroma”; “Family Meeting” (Tuesdays); “ILE IJO”; “Oontz”; “Group Therapy”; “Engineroomlagos” etc.

These events are brought to life by talented DJs, including: Blak Dave, Yosa, Axara, Ifeme, Abiodun Aniko and Deji. These house music events and DJs are at the forefront of Lagos’ thriving house music scene, cementing the city’s reputation as a hub for house music fans.

Music tours and festivals will diversify, moving beyond traditional Nigerian hotspots in Lagos & Abuja to include emerging markets and regions in the South like Enugu and Anambra. The South-East will become regular stops for major Nigerian music festivals and performances, fostering cross-cultural exchange as artistes look to tap into new fanbases.

Also, the South-East region now boasts artistes who are bonafide superstars within their region and locality, enjoying mainstream success and selling out shows in stadiums. Notable examples include JeriQ, who sold out shows in Anambra and Enugu, and KolaBoy, who also performed to a sold-out crowd in Enugu. As a result of this happening, attention is likely to focus on the region, with a significant increase in music-related commercial activities taking place in the East. This includes sound penetration, a rise in the number of shows, and a heightened likelihood of the South-East producing more regional artists who will achieve breakthrough success.

The demand for placements and features on editorial playlists curated by music digital service providers (DSPs) has increased significantly. Nevertheless, DSPs are unable to meet the high demand from artistes, who release thousands of tracks on these platforms every week. According to Music Business Worldwide, a staggering 120,000 new tracks are uploaded to music streaming services daily. This raises the question: how many of these songs can editorial playlists accommodate?

Music creatives now view playlists as an alternative to radio for music discovery and increasing streaming numbers. Since the music industry is driven by numbers, artistes are eager to explore avenues that provide them with a competitive edge, which playlists can offer.

In 2025, we can expect independent playlist curators to flourish. Those curators who already have a substantial listenership and traction will likely be approached by DSPs for partnerships, potentially leading to their appointment as editorial playlist curators due to their influence. The demand for local and culturally nostalgic content is on the rise, as audiences increasingly seek authentic and relatable music. Artistes who tap into this trend by incorporating traditional storytelling, local sounds, and vintage elements into their work are likely to see a significant boost in popularity.

A notable example of this nostalgia is Brain Jotter’s revival of Mike Ejeagha’s classic hit “Gwo Gwo Gwo Ngwo”, which not only brought new attention to the original song but also led to a remarkable achievement. Gentleman Mike Ejeagha’s 1983 album “Akuko N’egwu Original Vol1”, which features the viral “Gwo Ngwo” sound, debuted at #95 on the NG Spotify Albums chart, Apple Music & Shazam becoming the oldest album to ever appear on the chart.

Furthermore, Tems’ sampling of Seyi Sodimu’s 1997 hit “Love Me Jeje”, Shallipopi’s sample of cultural Benin music of Pa Monday Edo and Sarz’s incorporation of K1 De Ultimate’s “Won Tun-Nna” into his single “C’mon” with Asake demonstrate the growing trend of Nigerian artists drawing inspiration from nostalgic content. This trend will continue to gain momentum in 2025. Fans should expect to hear more creative fusions of traditional and modern sounds.

In 2025, music publishing will become a major talking point in the Nigerian music industry. Despite its importance, many producers, composers, and songwriters have limited knowledge about music publishing. Those who do understand its value often fail to set up their publishing accounts on platforms like IBM or other music publishers, neglecting to sign necessary split sheets and secure their rights.

Furthermore, some songwriters and composers have had their publishing rights claimed by third parties, highlighting the need for education and awareness. As music publishing becomes a hot topic, more music creatives will take steps to protect their intellectual property and secure their rightful royalties.