Ankara, September 25, 2025 – Turkey’s Competition Board has launched a formal investigation into Spotify, the world’s largest online music streaming platform, to assess pricing practices in Türkiye.
The decision follows a preliminary inquiry into Spotify Dijital Yayıncılık Hizmetleri AŞ, Spotify Yönetim Destek Hizmetleri AŞ, Spotify AB, and Spotify Technology S.A. At its meeting on August 28, the Board concluded that the evidence gathered was “significant and sufficient” to warrant a deeper probe.
The investigation will focus on whether Spotify’s pricing in Türkiye constitutes predatory pricing that could complicate the operations of rival platforms or undermine royalty revenues earned by music rights holders. Additionally, officials will assess whether Spotify engages in preferential treatment of certain music rights holders in its playlists, rankings, visibility, or recommendation algorithms, potentially disadvantaging others.
The digital transformation within the music industry in recent years has paved the way for the emergence of online music streaming platforms, which allow listeners to access desired music works at any time (on-demand music) by either paying a subscription fee or watching advertisements. Those platforms have not only fundamentally changed users’ listening habits but also become a significant component of the competitive dynamics of the music industry, the agency said.
The Competition Board emphasized that the decision to initiate an investigation does not mean Spotify has violated competition rules; it marks the beginning of a formal review process that could lead to findings, remedies, or penalties depending on the outcome.
“Investigation announcements are made to inform the public and cannot be interpreted as a determination of guilt or a presumption of sanctions,” the Board said in its statement.
