Music streaming giant Spotify has launched an internal investigation into its editors in Türkiye following allegations of bribery linked to the platform’s local charts, a report said Monday.
The move comes after mounting criticism from Turkish artists over the lack of transparency in how Spotify’s charts are compiled, as well as accusations of censorship, preferential treatment and artificial “bot” streams.
Spotify, with millions of users worldwide, plays a major role in helping artists reach audiences. However, in Türkiye, many musicians have voiced frustration over opaque ranking criteria and alleged misconduct.
Many prominent Turkish artists have publicly questioned the integrity of the platform’s local operations.
Amid reports of bribery allegations in the formation of charts, Spotify’s headquarters has launched a probe into its editors in Türkiye, private broadcaster Habertürk reported Monday.
Spotify’s decision follows an investigation launched last month by the Turkish Competition Authority (RK) into claims that the Swedish company has unfairly disadvantaged rivals and discriminated against certain artists and content creators.
The watchdog is also examining allegations that Spotify has given some musicians greater visibility, engaged in unfair practices in the distribution of royalties, and potentially violated the Law on the Protection of Competition.
In a statement, Spotify, which launched in Türkiye in 2013, said its operations complied with “all applicable laws” but would cooperate with the investigation.
“We are cooperating with the investigation, are actively seeking to understand it, and will work toward a swift, constructive resolution with the Turkish Competition Authority,” the statement said, without mentioning the playlist allegations.
According to Spotify, the company paid over TL 2 billion (nearly $50 million) to the local music industry in 2024, calling its service “pivotal in growing Turkish artists’ royalties globally.”
Separately, Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Batuhan Mumcu last month called for legal action against Spotify, citing its “refusal” to respond to requests to remove playlists with names deemed offensive.
“Spotify persistently refuses to take the necessary steps despite all our previous warnings,” Mumcu wrote on the social media platform X. “Content that targets our religious and national values and insults the beliefs of our society has not been corrected,” he added, saying Türkiye had been “closely monitoring content on Spotify for a long time.”
He pointed to content published “under the guise of ‘playlists’... that disregards our religious sensitivities toward our Prophet Mohammed, deliberately and unacceptably targeting the beliefs, sacred values, and spiritual world of our people.”
