Spotify has officially opened a new office in Istanbul, deepening its presence in Türkiye a decade after the streaming service first launched in the country.
The move coincides with a surge in local streaming activity:
- All-time streams of Turkish music have surpassed 294 billion.
- Streams have increased 190% over the past five years.
- Domestic repertoire accounts for 90% of tracks on Türkiye’s Spotify top 50.
The office, which opened on Thursday, June 18, aims to provide more direct support to Turkish artists, labels, and fans.
The expansion follows a period of regulatory friction. Türkiye’s competition authority previously investigated Spotify for alleged unfair practices, and Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Batuhan Mumcu accused the platform of hosting playlists that contravened the country’s “religious and national values.”
Nevertheless, other officials from the same ministry attended the opening, including Gökhan Yazgı, Türkiye’s Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, and Erkin Yılmaz, Director General of Royalties at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
“We see Spotify’s decision to increase its presence and investments in Türkiye as a manifestation of its confidence in this land and our music. As a Ministry, we wholeheartedly support all investments in Türkiye’s music and culture economy, including the proliferation of local projects that will highlight our artists and special promotional efforts targeting them.”
