With digitalization, listening habits have changed fundamentally. Traditional CDs and portable players have been replaced by online music streaming; platforms like Spotify have taken the lead in this area. However, this transformation also raises discussions questioning whether competition is functioning healthily. In Turkey, the Competition Authority has made a decision to investigate a corporate group consisting of Spotify Digital Publishing Services Inc., Spotify Management Support Services Inc., and Spotify EU.
At the Authority’s meeting on 28.06.2025, a decision was made to initiate an investigation with the opinion that these three entities might violate Law No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition. This decision has sparked debates about whether the strategies and policies of the platform within Turkey could lead to anti-competitive outcomes in the Music Industry.
The questions under the section titled “Focus of the Investigation” examine whether Spotify’s activities hinder the operations of competitors in the online music streaming market and how much they affect the relationships between content producers and artists. Specifically, the visibility of works on the platform, the processes of adding them to playlists, and the potential issues that recommendation algorithms could create from the perspective of fair competition are evaluated. The Competition Authority’s statement can be summarized as follows: “The economic group consisting of Spotify Digital Publishing Services Inc., Spotify Management Support Services Inc., Spotify EU, and Spotify Technology S.A. is being examined for whether its behavior in the market complies with Law No. 4054.”
The potential outcomes and sector impacts: If a violation of Law No. 4054 is detected at the end of the investigation, the Competition Authority may implement various sanctions. These could include fines, decisions requiring changes to certain practices, and adjustments to platform operations. This process could also serve as an example for other online platforms and contribute to the creation of a more transparent competitive environment in the industry.
