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Spotify will establish a local office in Türkiye in 2026, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced on Tuesday, a development that follows a formal investigation and mounting criticism from artists over the company’s chart compilation practices.
The office will address “an important deficiency” and strengthen collaboration between the music streaming giant and Turkish artists, Ersoy said on social media platform X.
The announcement came after Ersoy met with Spotify representatives in Ankara. He said concrete progress would soon be made to ensure Türkiye’s music ecosystem receives the support it deserves from Spotify.
The company has faced backlash from Turkish artists over what they describe as a lack of transparency in how its charts are compiled. Spotify has also been accused of censorship and preferential treatment.
Reports had also suggested Spotify launched an internal investigation into its editors in Türkiye following allegations of bribery linked to local charts, though the company later denied this.
Last month, the Turkish Competition Authority (RK) launched an investigation into “various allegations that the strategies and policies implemented by Spotify” in Türkiye have caused anti-competitive effects in the music industry.
The regulator said the probe would examine whether the Swedish company gave more visibility to some artists and engaged in unfair practices in the distribution of royalties, thereby violating competition law.
The company said its operations complied with “all applicable laws” but would cooperate with the investigation.
“Spotify will establish its office in Istanbul in 2026, deepening collaborations in this field,” said Ersoy. “We will sit down with company representatives and our music industry stakeholders to explore joint initiatives.”
The minister noted that Turkish artists achieved global success in 2024, reaching 2.8 billion new listeners and breaking records on international charts.
“Today, more than half of royalty revenues come from audiences outside Türkiye. This strong partnership will also support young talents and female artists, giving new momentum to our cultural diplomacy,” he added.
“We will continue working closely with the Spotify team on this and similar efforts to promote Türkiye’s rich musical heritage and culture worldwide.”
Spotify, which launched in Türkiye in 2013, says it paid over TL 2 billion (nearly $50 million) to the local music industry in 2024, calling its service “pivotal in growing Turkish artists’ royalties globally.”
