As the Nigerian music industry continues to expand globally, it’s becoming clear that growth alone isn’t enough. Sustainability, structure, and intention are now just as important as virality and moments. With new artists breaking through faster, audiences becoming more discerning, and the ecosystem growing more complex, the industry is being forced to rethink old habits and adopt new rules.
To understand what should carry forward, and what needs to be left behind, we asked journalists, music professionals, and ecosystem builders one simple question: what is one key learning the industry should take into 2026, and what is one thing we should unlearn? Their answers touch on data, discipline, originality, collaboration, infrastructure, and the urgent need to treat music not just as culture, but as business. Together, these perspectives offer a snapshot of where the industry is headed and what it must do to get there.
- Dolapo Amusat (Founder, WeTalkSound)
What is one key learning that the music industry should take into 2026?
Data! Follow the data. Put your personal sentiments about the product aside and listen to what the data is showing about the consumers’ preferences, because at the end of the day, they’re the ones paying.
What’s one thing we should unlearn or leave behind?
Spending a ton of the marketing budget on flexing and barely leaving anything to do the actual work.
- Feyikemi Akin-Bankole (Associate Communications Manager, West Africa, Spotify)
What is one key learning that the music industry should take into 2026?
There’s real power in structure. Regardless of the size or type of music business you’re running or operating in, having the right systems in place helps eliminate a lot of low-quality problems that are actually within your control. In an industry that often feels chaotic, structure creates clarity, consistency and room to grow.
What’s one thing we should unlearn or leave behind?
One thing we should unlearn is doing things lackadaisically. Music and the business around it can be fun and exciting, so it’s easy to treat it like it’s not a big deal. But if anything is going to succeed long-term, there has to be a method to the madness. Enjoy the process, but do things the right way; put proper processes in place, follow structure, and let discipline support the creativity.d it. Rather, we should try to find the contextual meaning of their emergence.
- Olamide Abimbola (Co-Founder, CiDAR Africa and Tiktalk Media)
What is one key learning that the music industry should take into 2026?
Once you find what works for you, double up on it like your life depends on it.
What’s one thing we should unlearn or leave behind?
Ignoring streaming data when promoting your music
- Excel Joab (Senior Manager, A&R & Artist Development, AWAL)
What is one key learning that the music industry should take into 2026?
The audience is fed up with hearing the same thing. They want authentic sounds from both the usual artists and especially the new faces.
What’s one thing we should unlearn or leave behind?
We should leave behind the haphazard approach to business. What we do is a business first and should be treated as such, always.
- Adeayo Adebiyi (Journalist, Pulse Nigeria)
What is one key learning that the music industry should take into 2026?
The lesson that there’s no substitute for growing local infrastructures. Either we do it now or regret it later, when the global resources and attention inevitably shrink to the point that only truly exported stars with consolidated global bases can thrive. We must differentiate between an exported movement and moments led by exported stars. The other lesson is the need to pull resources together as a growing ecosystem and scale. Joint projects, tours, and ventures.
What’s one thing we should unlearn or leave behind?
The need to leave project releases till the fourth quarter and overburden fans with music.
The issue is that when these artists drop in the third week of November in the hopes of scoring a detty December moment, they end up competing with many other artists with a similar mindset. The period then becomes choked with consumers spent and overstimulated because the Nigerian streaming audience is still growing, and not even at a pace that matches the pace of output. The project gathers dust in December, and when they attempt to kick off the marketing in January, it’s trickier because everyone is playing it safe and waiting to see how the year will go. And by February, they will be forced to move on, unless they manage to get a popping record.
I honestly struggle to see the point in the whole process, except for artists who have an elaborate plan that ensures activities and engagement after December.
- Ayomide K-D Oriowo (Co-Founder, TurnTable Charts)
What is one key learning that the music industry should take into 2026?
Collaborations are important!
What’s one thing we should unlearn or leave behind?
Heavy-budget music videos need to go, especially before the release of a song.
- Osinachi “Nachii” Ibeh (Global Marketing Manager, Plutomania Records / Founder, PEEPS)
What is one key learning that the music industry should take into 2026?
One key learning I think the music industry should take into 2026 is definitely adopting a pattern for clarity, not just jumping into conclusions, UNDERSTAND!!!
What’s one thing we should unlearn or leave behind?
Definitely Fear For Fall (F3), it’s okay to take a step back when needed; it only means you’d be back with more juice to win.
- Beverly Charles (A&R & Co-Manager, Mavo)
What is one key learning that the music industry should take into 2026?
The industry needs to understand that numbers matter, but they are not the full story. Metrics are important because they give artists direction and motivation. Numbers help artists measure growth, push themselves creatively, and understand where they stand. Chart positions, debuts, and milestones deserve celebration; they drive momentum and ambition.
However, numbers should not be the sole determinant of talent, value, or long-term impact. There needs to be deeper investment in community, creativity, and artist development, especially within the underground and emerging scenes. Many great artists are building quietly, organically, and consistently without mainstream attention. The industry must actively tap into these spaces instead of waiting for artists to “blow” before paying attention.
Another major learning is the need to embrace originality. Afrobeats has become very formulaic, and the artists truly standing out are those thinking differently and pushing creative boundaries. Uniqueness should be encouraged, not discouraged.
There’s also a strong opportunity around ecosystem-building through playlists and platforms. Labels, brands, and music institutions in Nigeria should stop relying solely on external gatekeepers and start creating their own curated playlists on DSPs. Over time, these playlists gain credibility and help structure the industry more sustainably. This collective effort strengthens the ecosystem rather than concentrating power in a few inaccessible hands.
What’s one thing we should unlearn or leave behind?
The industry needs to leave behind gatekeeping and generational ego. Many OGs are comfortable with systems that worked for them and dismiss or undermine the new generation instead of learning from them. The truth is that the shift has already happened. Young artists are moving strategically, leveraging technology and tools that weren’t available before, and it’s influencing the entire industry, including the OGs themselves.
Rather than shading or resisting change, the industry should focus on catching artists early, supporting them while they are still building, and helping them scale. This is how Afrobeats grows globally and how the creative economy is strengthened locally.
Distributors and DSP partners also need to be more intentional. If an artist under your distribution is showing organic growth, don’t wait for hype or external validation. Reach out. Ask questions. Offer support. Upscale what’s already working. Stop chasing clout and start boosting artists who are quietly doing the work.
The future of the industry depends on curiosity, openness, and collaboration, not just numbers, noise, or hierarchy.
