Kenya’s Top 20 Songs for March 2024

According to the Ngoma Charts Top 100 Songs for March 2024, the most popular tunes dominating the airwaves across Kenya are:

• TikToker by Soundkraft ft. Gody Tennor, Tipsy Gee & Kappy
• Mukuchu by Gody Tennor ft. Spoiler, Soundkraft & RanzScooby
• Nyar Jaduong by Prince Indah
• Kuu Kuu by Willy Paul ft. JZyNo
• Lifestyle by Bien ft. Scar Mkadinali
• One Call by Otile Brown ft. Ruby
• G-Bag na Jug (G Baga Jat) by Gadafee ft. Gotta City & Stoopid Boy
• Perfect Design by Nyashinski
• Cham Thum (Atoti) by Watendawili
• Osiepe by Prince Indah

These rankings provide an insight into the musical preferences of Kenyan listeners, compiled using song performance data from platforms including Apple Music, Audiomack, Boomplay, Spotify, YouTube and Shazam.

Music Streaming Dominates the Kenyan Music Industry

The growth of music streaming platforms has been fueled by the increasing adoption of the subscription economy, particularly among Gen Z and Millennials.

Global Music Streaming Subscriber Growth The global music streaming subscriber base surged by 26.4% to reach 523.9 million in Q2 2021, up from 414.4 million the previous year.2 This strong growth during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the rising popularity of on-demand music streaming services worldwide. Moreover, the total time spent globally listening to music each week increased by 51% in 2021, averaging 18.4 hours per week or 1.6 hours per day.

Music Streaming Dominates Music EngagementThe data based on 21 countries shows that music streaming, including platforms like Spotify, Apple, and Deezer, accounts for 32% of total music engagement. This is followed by video streaming (22%) and short-form video apps (11%) like TikTok.2Interestingly, traditional radio engagement was 16%, notably higher than short-form video apps.

U.S. Music Streaming Revenue and Subscriber Growth In the U.S., music streaming accounted for 84% of total music industry revenues in 2021, around the same level as the previous year. This includes paid subscription services, ad-supported services, digital and customized radio, and licenses for music on platforms like Facebook and digital fitness apps.

The number of paid music streaming subscribers in the U.S. reached a record high of 82.1 million in the first half of 2021, up 13% from the previous year. This growth in paid subscribers has contributed to a 40% increase in paid music subscription revenues over the past two years.

Streaming Dominates Kenyan Music Consumption

The Kenyan music industry is following the global trend, with streaming becoming the dominant mode of music consumption.

Kenyan Music Streaming Platforms and Usage According to a survey by the Radio Africa Group, music streaming has a weekly average incidence of 30% in Kenya. YouTube emerges as the dominant music streaming platform in the country. Additionally, the Kenyan music streaming platform Mdundo.com reported 20.3 million monthly active users, exceeding its monthly target of 19 to 20 million users.

These statistics highlight the growing importance of music streaming in the Kenyan music landscape, with platforms like YouTube and local services like Mdundo capturing a significant share of music consumption.

Genres and Streaming Preferences Regarding music genre preferences, R&B/hip-hop is the most popular streaming genre in the U.S., accounting for 29.9% of all on-demand streams. Rock is the second most popular genre with 17% of streams.

While specific data for Kenya is not readily available, it is likely that similar genre preferences are observed, given the global influence of American music trends.

Streaming Platforms and Subscriber Numbers

The music streaming industry is dominated by a few key players, each with millions of subscribers worldwide.

Spotify Spotify is the clear market leader, with 406 million monthly active users and 180 million subscribers as of 2022. Spotify maintains a dominant 31% share of the global music streaming market.

Apple Music Apple Music, the second-largest player, had 78 million subscribers worldwide as of June 2021, accounting for 15% of the total music streaming market.

YouTube Music YouTube Music, the music streaming service from Google, had 23.6 million paying subscribers globally as of the end of 2021, with a market share of 8%.

Tencent Music Tencent Music, a major player in the Chinese market, had 636 million users and 71.2 million paying users as of the end of September 2021, with a 13% market share.

Other Platforms Other notable music streaming platforms include Amazon Music (13% market share), Deezer (2% market share), Netease (6% market share), and Gaana (a leading service in India).

Music Streaming Consumption Patterns

Music streaming behaviors and preferences vary across different demographic groups and regions.

Time Spent Streaming MusicAccording to global data, people in North America stream an average of 75 minutes of music per day, while those in Latin America stream 86 minutes per day, the highest across all regions.2Younger age groups, particularly Gen Z (16-24 years old) and Millennials (25-34 years old), tend to spend the most time streaming music, with 97 minutes and 76 minutes per day, respectively.2

Reasons for Paid Subscriptions

The primary reason for users to pay for music streaming services is to avoid advertisements interrupting their music listening experience. Other top reasons include the ability to listen to what they want, when they want, and access to a vast catalog of songs.2Younger demographics, such as 16-24 and 25-34-year-olds, are more likely to subscribe to paid music streaming services, with around 60% of users in these age groups being paid subscribers.2

Cross-Platform and Account SharingMusic streaming users are known to listen across multiple platforms, with 42% of Spotify users also using SoundCloud, and 31% using Apple Music.2Additionally, there are 3.6 music streamers for every paid subscription, indicating that users often share their accounts with others.2

Artist Earnings from Music Streaming

While music streaming has revolutionized the industry, the debate around fair compensation for artists continues.

Average Pay-per-Stream Rates According to research, the average pay-per-stream rate across all music streaming platforms is approximately $0.00173. However, the rates vary significantly between platforms, with Apple Music paying the highest at $0.00675 per stream, followed by Tidal at $0.00876 and Peloton at $0.03107.2Spotify, the market leader, pays an average of $0.00348 per stream.

It’s important to note that these figures are approximate and may have changed over time, as streaming platforms continually adjust their payment models and policies.

Factors Affecting Artist Earnings

Artist earnings from music streaming depend on various factors, including the platform’s payout rates, the number of streams, the artist’s popularity, and the type of licensing agreement they have with the platform. Larger, more established artists generally earn higher per-stream rates, while smaller, independent artists may struggle to generate significant income from streaming alone.

The ongoing discussions around fair compensation for artists on streaming platforms continue to be a critical issue in the music industry.

Conclusion

​The Kenyan music industry is firmly embracing the era of music streaming, with platforms like YouTube, Mdundo, and global giants like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music dominating the landscape.

The popularity of R&B/hip-hop, as well as the growing engagement of younger demographics, highlights the evolving music consumption patterns in the country.

As the music streaming industry continues to evolve, understanding the nuances of user behavior, platform market shares, and artist earnings will be crucial for industry stakeholders to navigate the dynamic landscape and ensure a sustainable and equitable future for the Kenyan music ecosystem.