After months of speculation about Spotify‘s potential exit from the Turkish market, the global streaming giant has confirmed plans to establish its first office in Türkiye by 2026. The announcement, made by Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy in August 2025, ends weeks of uncertainty regarding Spotify’s future presence in the country amid growing government pressure.
The decision to open an Istanbul office follows significant criticism from Turkish musicians who have long complained about lack of transparency in playlisting, chart compilation, and artist relations. Many artists have raised allegations of censorship, favoritism, and unfair royalty distribution practices, creating tensions in the local music community.
Reports of an internal Spotify investigation into bribery allegations linked to local charts—which Spotify has denied—further complicated the company’s relationship with Turkish stakeholders. The Turkish Competition Authority launched an investigation into Spotify’s market practices in July 2025, citing anti-competitive concerns about preferential treatment for certain artists affecting royalties and visibility.
Despite this regulatory scrutiny, Spotify maintains it complies with all applicable Turkish laws and has pledged full cooperation with the ongoing probe. Plans for the new office include collaborative initiatives with Turkish music industry representatives to support ecosystem growth. The company plans to introduce playlist pitching features specifically tailored for Turkish artists to improve discoverability on the platform.
Meetings between Spotify Vice President Gustav Gylenhammar, Turkish representative Mithat Özbek, and ministry officials have already laid groundwork for a music summit scheduled for September 2025 in Istanbul, aimed at developing support strategies for local talent.
The office launch comes at a time when Turkish artists have achieved remarkable global reach, with 2.8 billion new listeners on Spotify in 2024. Turkish musicians are increasingly exploring sync deals as an alternative revenue stream while navigating platform challenges. Artists have persistently struggled with inadequate support from the platform due to the absence of local representatives. The platform’s planned operations have been threatened by recent access denial issues affecting millions of Turkish users. More than half of Spotify royalty revenues linked to Turkish artists now come from outside Türkiye, highlighting the growing international appeal of Turkish music.
Government and industry leaders anticipate that Spotify’s local presence will strengthen Türkiye’s music ecosystem and cultural diplomacy efforts, particularly benefiting young talent and female artists in the country’s evolving music landscape.
