1 Million Streams, Just $300: Tems’ Manager Lays Bare the Brutal Streaming Reality Facing Nigerian Artists

Tems’ manager, Muyiwa Awoniyi, has revealed the emotional and economic challenges behind Tems’ rise to global fame, from having just ₦200 in her account to confronting the harsh reality of streaming revenues in Nigeria.

In a recent interview on the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast, Awoniyi explained that Nigerian artists earn far less from streaming compared to their peers in richer countries.

One million streams in Nigeria generate approximately $300. That same number of streams in Sweden can earn between $8,000 to $10,000, he said.

He blamed the revenue gap on Nigeria’s low subscription fees and economic struggles. Spotify subscriptions cost just ₦900 in Nigeria, and streaming platforms treat earnings by territory. So, Nigerian artists with millions of streams tend to earn very little.

A lot of people do not know this, by the way. So for me, I always knew that if my IP is anchored to a region where one million streams is $300, I am cooked. I knew this from Nonso’s time because, like I said, the trickle-down effect of the economy is going to hit the citizens regardless.

This financial imbalance is one of the reasons some industry voices, including Burna Boy, have urged Nigerian musicians to build fan bases beyond the country’s borders if they want to thrive.

But long before streaming figures came into the picture, Awoniyi saw something rare in Tems’ heart, vision, and grit.

When I met Tems, she had only ₦200 in her account. She didn’t even have a way to earn money at the time, yet she was still ordering food for us, he recalled. What impressed him even more was how seriously she took business.

Awoniyi said that his experience led him to choose to build a business with her, not just manage her as a talent. That partnership has since paid off. Today, Tems is an internationally celebrated artist with Grammy wins and collaborations with music giants like Drake, Future, and Justin Bieber.

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Chinalurumogu Eze

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