Nigerian singer, Chike, whose song, Egwu, done with Mohbad, went viral, recently sparked a conversation around the credibility of music streaming charts.
He specifically alleged that the Apple Music Nigeria Top Songs chart is often manipulated.
Chike expressed his belief that the top 10 and top 20 Apple Music charts in Nigeria are frequently “rigged”.
He clarified that while there were genuine placements, it was common for positions on the charts to be influenced by behind-the-scenes deals.
Chike explained that with sufficient financial backing, artists or their teams could artificially push songs up the rankings.
He used his own career as an example, suggesting that if he wanted a song to reach the top 10 on Apple Music, he could instruct his team to spend a substantial sum.
According to him, this type of visibility strategy would likely secure a spot for his music on the charts.
“Your Top 10 and Top 20 on Apple Music is rigged… Not all the time, to be fair, but most times,” Chike said.
Also, he questioned whether it should even be called “rigging” when it was technically a paid promotional strategy.
In his view, with the vast amount of music being released, visibility has become crucial to stand out.
This leads some artists to resort to financial methods to boost their visibility.
However, he emphasised that this was not necessarily a standard practice across the board, though it was common.
People Also Read: Netflix Names Ebuka Obi-Uchendu As Host For Lights, Camera… Naija!
For Chike, this approach to charting can make it difficult for artists with smaller budgets to compete.
Also, he noted that he wouldn’t want to “cancel against” other artists who might have more financial resources