Spotify set to open office in Istanbul next year

ANKARA

Türkiye is set to welcome a local Spotify office, with the global streaming giant planning to establish its Istanbul branch in 2026, the culture minister has announced.

“The Spotify Türkiye office will deepen partnerships in the sector. We will work closely with company officials and industry representatives to plan joint initiatives,” the Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said on social media on Aug. 19.

He said the move addresses a long-standing gap in Türkiye’s music ecosystem.

The announcement follows Ersoy’s meeting with Spotify Vice President Gustav Gylenhammar and Türkiye Representative Mithat Özbek, as part of efforts by the ministry to resolve complaints from Turkish musicians over Spotify’s playlisting and curation practices.

Artists had long criticized the platform for a lack of transparency and the difficulty of knowing who to contact in the absence of a local office.

The platform has also previously faced scrutiny. In July, the Turkish Competition Authority opened an investigation into potential anti-competitive practices in the country’s music market.

Despite challenges, Ersoy highlighted that Turkish artists achieved record global success in 2024, reaching 2.8 billion new listeners worldwide, with more than half of royalty revenues coming from audiences outside Türkiye.

"This strong collaboration, which will support young talent and female artists, will also give new momentum to our cultural diplomacy,” he said.

A music summit scheduled for September in Istanbul is expected to deliver further outcomes.