Ankara, 4 July 2025 – Turkey’s Competition Board has launched a formal examination into Spotify over alleged anti-competitive practices in the online music streaming market, citing concerns about the platform’s impact on market dynamics and content distribution in Turkey.
The investigation, initiated at the Board’s meeting on 28 June 2025, will focus on whether Spotify’s business conduct violates Act No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition. The case targets the economic entity formed by Spotify Dijital Yayıncılık Hizmetleri AŞ, Spotify Yönetim Destek Hizmetleri AŞ, and Spotify AB.
Allegations Under Review
According to the announcement, the probe seeks to assess:
- Whether Spotify’s strategies hinder rival platforms from operating effectively;
- Whether it distorts the allocation of royalties among rightsholders due to its licensing practices;
- Whether Spotify discriminates between artists and creators, particularly in terms of platform visibility and promotion.
Spotify, a dominant player in Turkey’s streaming market, is viewed as a critical channel for music distribution. The Board’s examination aims to determine if the platform is leveraging its market power in ways that harm competition or unfairly influence content access.
The Competition Authority emphasized that the probe is in its early stages and no conclusions have been reached. Updates will be shared as the examination progresses.
