Türkiye’s Competition Authority has formally launched an antitrust investigation into Spotify, citing concerns that the global music streaming giant may be engaging in conduct that distorts competition in the country’s digital music market.
The decision to initiate the probe was taken at the Competition Board’s meeting on 28 June 2025, and involves the economic unity comprising Spotify Dijital Yayıncılık Hizmetleri AŞ, Spotify Yönetim Destek Hizmetleri AŞ, and Spotify AB. Collectively, these entities operate Spotify’s services in Türkiye.
According to the Authority, the investigation seeks to address allegations that Spotify has leveraged its dominant position in ways that may hinder competition, particularly through its licensing practices and platform policies. With a vast user base and increasing influence as a key distribution channel for music content, Spotify’s strategies are being scrutinized for potentially disadvantaging rival streaming services and distorting the distribution of royalties across the music value chain.
Specifically, the probe will assess whether Spotify has engaged in practices that complicate the operations of its competitors or unfairly influence the allocation of royalty payments to rights holders, including artists and content creators. Investigators will also examine claims that Spotify may be discriminating between creators by manipulating content visibility on its platform, possibly privileging certain artists over others.
Such practices, if substantiated, could amount to violations of Law No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition, which prohibits anti-competitive behavior that restricts market access or distorts fair competition.
In response to the announcement, a Spotify spokesperson stated that the company “conducts all of its operations in compliance with applicable legal standards” and pledged to cooperate fully with the inquiry.
The Turkish regulator has signaled that it will undertake a comprehensive evaluation of Spotify’s conduct in the coming months, as part of its broader mandate to ensure a level playing field in Türkiye’s digital economy.
