Spotify Facing Bribery Allegations in Turkey

Spotify Turkey has been accused of accepting bribes to elevate certain performers’ presence on playlists.

The details:

• As per Digital Music News, singers such as Aydilge, Ferhat Gocer and Oguzhan Koch have publicly questioned the streamer’s playlist curation practices, alleging certain performers were receiving higher visibility in exchange for bribes.

• They have asked Spotify for increased transparency around the criteria for creating these playlists.

• There are also allegations that artificial ‘bot’ uploads are “distorting chart placements in the country.”

The response:

• Spotify has launched an internal investigation into its editors and whether illegal payments shaped their playlist curation.

• The Turkish Competition Authority has also opened a formal investigation into Spotify’s market practices, including the playlist bribery allegations, royalty manipulation, and unfair advantages afforded to certain artists or labels.

Other issues:

• Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Batuhan Mumcu has previously targeted Spotify for its editorial choices and refusal to remove playlists at odds with the “cultural and moral values of our nation.”

• When combined with the Turkish Competition Authority’s investigation into anticompetitive practices by the streaming giant, there has been speculation that Spotify is considering withdrawing from the Turkish market entirely.