Q1 2026 Marketshare Report: EMPIRE Leads As Gap at No. 1 Continues to Widen, WMG Enters Second for the First Time Ever and Sony Music Returns to the Top Three
Dapper Music is the number one Nigerian-owned label again, replacing Dangbana Republik which topped for the first time ever in Q4 2025.
The release of Seyi Vibez’s ‘FUJI MOTO’ and ‘REAL, Vol. 1 - EP,’ the joint EP by Wizkid & Asake helped drive EMPIRE to its biggest gap from number two ever. In simple maths, EMPIRE recorded over three times as more streams than any other record label during the 13 weeks of Q1 2026 – and this represents the biggest gap between the No. 1 and No. 2 companies in a quarterly market share report. EMPIRE ended the quarter with 9.97% share. EMPIRE recorded one of the strongest year-over-year gains in market share, growing by 64.0% from 6.08% in Q1 2025 to 9.97% in Q1 2026.
In terms of the biggest shake up at the top is WMG which enters the top 3 for the first time with 3.14% share. A combination of successful global international releases like Gunna’s ‘The Last Wun,’ local & African releases through Africori such as BabyDaiz & King Vinci’s “Allonsy” and its relationship with Chocolate City ensured that WMG surges to its highest position ever. Omah Lay’s “Waist,” which topped the official singles chart for two weeks, is the company’s biggest release during the period. Expect even more Omah Lay in the Mid-Year report following the release of his long-awaited sophomore album ‘Clarity of Mind’ (and more Warner Music). WMG posted steady growth in Q1 2026, expanding its market share by 18.9% year-over-year from 2.64% to 3.14%.
Sony Music ranks at third place in Q1 2026 with a 2.92% market share. It marks a big jump from its eighth place in the previous quarter. Interestingly, this jump is mostly carried by the success of its pan-African releases “MONEY CONSTANT” and “Nakupenda.” The former features South African and Nigerian artistes Dj Maphorisa, Dj Tunez, Mavo & Wizkid while the latter uses the same combination of nationalities with TxC, Scotts Maphuma, Al Xapo, Shoday, Zlatan & Davido. Shoday’s “Paparazzi” featuring FOLA became the first number-one entry on the official singles chart for both artistes during the first quarter of the year – establishing Shoday has one of the most bankable hitmakers of the new generation.
Sony Music's market share declined from 4.75% in Q1 2025 to 2.92% in Q1 2026, representing a year-over-year decrease of 38.5%. The decline is best understood in the context of its release schedule. During Q1 2025, the company benefited from the commercial impact of Morayo by Wizkid as well as three singles from 5ive by Davido, all of which contributed significantly to its market share. By contrast, Q1 2026 lacked releases of comparable scale, resulting in a softer performance despite the company's continued presence among the market's leading players.
Virgin Music sits at fourth place in this quarter after dropping to fifth last quarter behind (EMPIRE, Dangbana Republik, UMG and WMG). As usual, the rise was driven by the release of a marquee release; this time, Tml Vibez’s ‘A Street Kid’s Diary’ (released through Dapper Music). Virgin Music came in at 2.88% of market share. After accounting for 5.34% of the market in Q1 2025, Virgin Music's share fell to 2.88% in Q1 2026, marking a 46.1% year-over-year decline.
Dapper Music & Entertainment comes in at fifth with catalog music representing a large share of its current share. Dapper Music experienced a significant contraction in market share, declining 46.6% year-over-year from 4.94% in Q1 2025 to 2.64% in Q1 2026. Despite posting a 46.6% year-over-year decline, Dapper Music recorded modest sequential growth in Q1 2026, increasing its market share from 2.50% in Q4 2025 to 2.64%, a quarter-over-quarter gain of 5.6%. This can be attributed to the release of the aforementioned ‘A Street Kid’s Diary’ during the period.
Dangbana Republik continues its surge as a major player in the Nigerian market as it drops to sixth in Q1 2026. Yes, the company saw a drop from second place in last quarter but largely maintained its streaming power. The company is mainly powered by Bella Shmurda’s catalog & latest album ‘Sanity’ and the biggest new talent in Nigerian music, FOLA – ‘catharsis’ continues its success from the previous quarter. Despite a 28.7% quarter-over-quarter decline from its Q4 2025 peak of 3.41%, Dangbana Republik remained one of the market's strongest year-over-year gainers, expanding its share by 273.8% from 0.65% in Q1 2025 to 2.43% in Q1 2026 (the second largest year-over-year growth in the top 10). The performance highlights the label's growing commercial footprint and its ability to sustain momentum beyond a single breakout period.
Rounding out the top ten is a mix of international labels, international distributor and artiste imprints; UMG comes in at seventh place with 2.13%, followed by Seyi Vibez’s NSNV Inc at eighth with 2.07%, YBNL Nation at ninth place with 1.63% and ONErpm at tenth place with 1.55%.
UMG accounted for 2.13% of market share in Q1 2026, up from 1.83% in Q1 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 16.4%. However, the figure marks a 36.8% decline from the 3.37% share recorded in Q4 2025, a quarter in which the company benefited from a particularly strong release schedule led by FUN by Rema—the biggest song of the quarter—as well as successful releases from ODUMODUBLVCK and Ayra Starr.
While UMG did not enjoy the same volume of major frontline releases in Q1 2026, its market share remained above year-ago levels, supported largely by the continued consumption of records released in the preceding quarter. The company also benefited from the exceptional performance of Raindance by Dave and Tems, whose global success extended strongly into Nigeria. The record has since become the most successful song of both artists' careers in the market, providing UMG with a major crossover hit despite the absence of a comparable slate of new domestic releases.
Seyi Vibez’s NSNV Inc was not a major player in Nigerian music last year. NSNV Inc recorded one of the most significant gains of any imprint during the period under review, growing its market share from 0.25% in Q1 2025 to 2.07% in Q1 2026. The increase represents a gain of 1.82 percentage points and a remarkable 728.0% year-over-year rise (the largest year-over-year growth in the top 10). The company also posted strong quarter-over-quarter growth, expanding from 0.65% in Q4 2025 to 2.07% in Q1 2026, an increase of 218.5%.
The growth reflects the continued commercial strength of Seyi Vibez following his departure from Dapper Music and the consolidation of his releases under NSNV Inc. As the artist's latest imprint continues to establish itself within the market, its rapid rise highlights the commercial value of Seyi Vibez's catalogue and his ability to drive meaningful market share independently of his former distribution arrangement.
YBNL Nation accounted for 1.63% of market share in Q1 2026, down slightly from 1.76% in Q1 2025 and 1.71% in Q4 2025. The performance represents a modest year-over-year decline of 7.4% and a quarter-over-quarter decrease of 4.7%, making it one of the more stable players among the leading labels during the period under review. While the label did not record significant growth during the quarter, its relatively consistent market share points to the enduring strength of its catalogue and artist roster. In an increasingly competitive market where shares can fluctuate sharply from quarter to quarter, YBNL Nation maintained a steady presence, reflecting the value of a mature catalogue and sustained audience engagement.
ONErpm grew its market share by 49.0% year-over-year, rising from 1.04% in Q1 2025 to 1.55% in Q1 2026. However, the figure was down 35.4% from the 2.40% recorded in Q4 2025, indicating a softer quarter following a stronger finish to 2025.
Other Highlights of Q1 2026
Chocolate City Music
Chocolate City Music’s market share rose 74.1% year-over-year from 0.58% to 1.01%, driven by the performance of Blue Disco. The project was powered by multiple hits, including the No. 1 record “LaLaLa” featuring Rema and “2Factor” featuring Asake and Focalistic, both of which helped drive the label’s strongest quarterly showing in the review period.
Kilogbede Records
KRL Records recorded one of the most dramatic breakout runs of the period under review, rising from an effectively negligible 0.00000655% market share in Q1 2025 to 0.98% in Q1 2026; a near-total emergence into measurable market relevance within a single year. The label also closed the quarter stronger sequentially, growing from 0.70% in Q4 2025 to 0.98% in Q1 2026, a 40.0% quarter-over-quarter increase that underscores sustained momentum beyond a single spike period. The performance is anchored by the breakout commercial impact of Mavo, whose run over the past 12 months has been central to Kilogbede Records’ rapid ascent. What began as near-zero streaming activity in Q1 2025 has, within a year, translated into a measurable and increasingly competitive market presence — positioning the imprint as one of the clearest emergence stories in Nigerian music.
LVRN Records
LVRN posted one of its strongest upward movements in the period under review, growing from 0.13% in Q1 2025 to 0.66% in Q1 2026; a year-over-year increase of 407.7% that reflects a clear expansion of its market footprint. The label also accelerated its momentum into the new year, rising from 0.24% in Q4 2025 to 0.66% in Q1 2026, a 175.0% quarter-over-quarter increase and its strongest quarterly performance across the review window.
The growth of a label internationally known for Summer Walker & 6lack, was driven largely by a run of major African crossover records, including “Isaka (6am)” by CIZA (features Nigerians Tems & Omah Lay), “Nakupenda” by TxC (features Davido, Zlatan & Shoday), and “SNOKONOKO” by Al Xapo, Benzoo & EeQue — three of the most commercially impactful African crossover records of the period. Together, these releases significantly strengthened LVRN Records’ consumption profile across multiple markets, positioning the label as one of the key beneficiaries of the growing global reach of dance music, even as it continues to operate from a relatively modest overall base.
Ranking of the Nigerian-owned Labels for Q1 2026
- Dapper Music & Entertainment (2.64%)
- Dangbana Republik (2.43%)
- NSNV Inc. (2.10%)
- YBNL Nation (1.65%)
- Giran Republic (1.28%)
- Starboy Entertainment Ltd. (1.25%)
- Chocolate City Music (1.02%)
- Kilogbede Records (0.99%)
- Mavin Records (0.92%)
- Plutomania Records (0.90%)
- To Your Ears Entertainment (0.85%)
- Native Records (0.74%)
- KeyQaad (0.68%)
- Vibez Inc (0.60%)
- Spaceship Entertainment Ltd. (0.57%)
- Inner Circle Entertainment (0.57%)
- Jonzing World (0.55%)
- DMW (0.47%)
- Azuri (0.44%)
- Marlian Music (0.41%)
- Kalacious Entertainment (0.40%)
- Ckay Holdings LLC (0.41%)
- BT Music Worldwide (0.40%)
- Easier Said (0.40%)
- MAD Solutions LLC (0.36%)
- Tobisneh Records (0.32%)
- Canny Consults (0.31%)
- 1789 (0.27%)
- OceanStreet Ltd (0.26%)
- Zanku Records (0.26%)
