When Spotify launched in Kenya in February 2021, it quietly stepped into a country already obsessed with music. What followed was not just growth, but a steady expansion of how Kenyans discover, share, and obsess over songs.

Listening on the platform has climbed year after year since its launch. The growth has remained strong all the way to 2025, averaging about 68 per cent annually. That kind of compounding tells a simple story: streaming in Kenya is a habit.

One genre in particular has exploded. Amapiano has surged dramatically, with streams rising more than 1,400 percent in the last five years.

The South African-born sound has clearly found a second home in Kenyan playlists. But it is not alone.

Gospel and praise music streams have jumped by more than 1,100 percent, while R&B, Afrobeats, and hip-hop have also recorded major increases. And that just shows that Kenyan listeners are not loyal to just one vibe.

Another shift is happening beneath the surface of the numbers: language. Music in Kenyan indigenous languages is gaining serious momentum both locally and internationally.

Listening within Kenya has more than doubled over the five-year period, and global audiences are also tuning in more. That trend suggests something powerful of local storytelling travelling far beyond borders.

When it comes to artists dominating Kenyan speakers, global stars still hold a strong presence. Over the past five years, the most-streamed artists in the country include Drake, Chris Brown, Future, Burna Boy, and Travis Scott. Their influence shows how globally connected Kenyan listeners have become.

At the same time, regional hits and Kenyan tracks are carving out their space in repeat playlists. Songs like Asiwaju by Ruger, Rush by Ayra Starr, and Bandana by Asake featuring Fireboy DML have been heavily replayed.

Kenyan music is also firmly in the mix, including Inauma by Bien, Aki Sioni by Njerae, Beta by Mutoriah, and SINA NOMA by Charisma.

The platform has also become a doorway for more local creators. Since launching in Kenya, the number of Kenyan artists on Spotify has grown by more than 112 percent, suggesting that more musicians are seeing streaming as a serious way to reach audiences beyond radio and television.

Then there is the scale of listening. Kenyan users have created more than nine million playlists over the past five years.

In 2025 alone, listeners spent more than 203 million hours streaming music on the platform. Podcasts are gaining traction too, with over 35 million hours streamed since Spotify’s arrival in the country.

Perhaps the most revealing statistic is about discovery. The average listener in Kenya now streams around 124 different artists in a month.

That means people are not just replaying the same hits; they are exploring. With an average listener age of 26, the country’s streaming culture is being driven largely by a young, digital-first generation shaping trends in real time.