Spotify to Officially Launch Operations in Istanbul

Spotify will open an office in Istanbul by the end of June.

Rocky road:

• The streaming service has had a bumpy relationship with the Turkish government.

• Last year the latter took exception to the streaming giant’s alleged anticompetitive practices and failure to address complaints about its published content.

• It also criticized the absence of a Spotify office in Turkey.

• Spotify threatened to pull out of the region.

• Relations began to thaw following meetings last August, with this latest announcement furthering the progress.

New frontier:

• Upon the opening of Spotify’s Istanbul office, MD Akshat Harbola will expand his current role overseeing MENA and Pakistan to lead the Turkish operations.

• As per Digital Music News, Spotify intends to increase its support of local artists by progressing its EQUAL Turkey, RADAR Turkey and ICON Turkey programs, which promote female, emerging, and legacy artists, respectively.

• The streamer claims 52 million people outside of Turkey listened to at least one Turkish-language track in 2025.

• Since 2020, international streams of Turkish music have grown by 160%.

What they said:

• Akshat Harbola: “Türkiye is a priority market for us, and deepening our presence reflects our long-term commitment to the country’s music ecosystem, its creators, and its culture.”