Nigerian artists generated more than N60 billion from Spotify in 2025 after their music was streamed 30.3 billion times, highlighting the growing value of the country’s music catalogue.
But as streaming revenue, licensing deals and catalogue valuations rise, disputes over who owns recordings, collects royalties and recovers investment are becoming increasingly consequential.
Recent disputes involving Runtown and Eric Many, Shallipopi, Seyi Vibez and T.I Blaze, and Dapper Music show how disagreements over contracts can become costly battles over valuable intellectual property.
The underlying issue is straightforward: a successful song is an asset, but its value depends on who owns the rights, who controls the revenue, and whether the financial records can prove what each party is owed.
‘Artists can now build audiences around the world without depending entirely on traditional labels, and streaming has made it easier to track things like streams and revenue,’ said Chukwudi Chimezie, an entertainment and intellectual property lawyer.
‘That gives artists more information about their business and, in some cases, more leverage when dealing with labels.’
A catalogue is only worth what can be verified
The growing interest in African music catalogues is turning songs into increasingly sophisticated financial assets.
Investors and specialist rights companies can acquire or manage catalogues for their future royalty streams. But valuation requires more than knowing how many times a song has been streamed.
A potential buyer needs to establish who owns the masters and publishing rights, whether rights have previously been assigned or licensed, whether there are outstanding contractual claims and whether historical revenue can be independently verified.
BusinessDay has reported on growing efforts to treat intellectual property, including music catalogues, as assets capable of attracting investment and financing.
That makes contractual clarity a financial issue, not merely a legal one.
A catalogue with clean ownership, reliable royalty records and predictable cash flows is easier to value, license or finance than one tied up in unresolved contractual claims.