Meeting between MSG and Spotify: "We want to establish a sustainable digital music system"

The Musical Works Owners Group (MSG) held a meeting with Spotify 's senior executives.

MSG Chairman Ferhat Göçer and Vice Chairman Birol Namoğlu attended the meeting on behalf of MSG, while Spotify was represented by three senior executives from abroad.

At the meeting, the expectations of Turkish artists and song owners from Spotify were discussed, while the Digital Music Platforms Workshop report, the views and requests of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the investigation launched by the Competition Authority were also among the main agenda items.

The opinions and suggestions shared by MSG with Spotify officials are as follows:

EDITORIAL PLAYLIST TRANSPARENCY AND ALLEGATIONS OF MANIPULATION

It was emphasized that Spotify's playlist creation processes require greater transparency. It was stated that allegations of unethical manipulation, such as playlist sales and bot streams, have caused a significant loss of trust in the industry, and therefore preventative policies must be implemented urgently.

SUBSCRIPTION PRICING POLICIES IN Türkiye

MSG conveyed the music industry's expectations for an update to subscription prices. Additionally, the results of a field survey conducted by MSG with 2,000 people, which revealed the habits and trends of music consumers in Türkiye, were shared with Spotify officials.

VISIBILITY AND SUPPORT PROJECTS FOR TURKISH AUTHORS

The meeting also discussed projects aimed at increasing visibility and support for Turkish artists on digital platforms. In this context, the "Noteable Turkey" project, a Türkiye-specific version of Spotify's global "Noteable" program, was proposed. The project included developing playlists and promotion mechanisms for Turkish composers, strengthening the representation of local musical genres on the platform, and implementing cultural performance projects like "Live at Istanbul Studios."

It was stated that an approach sensitive to social values ​​should be adopted in playlists and song selections, in line with the content sensitivities monitored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the relevant public authorities.

Spotify officials stated that they carefully noted the assessments, expectations, and sensitivities conveyed by MSG during the meeting. They also noted that they are taking the recent content sensitivities that have come to the forefront in the public domain and the investigation launched by the Competition Authority very seriously. They stated that they are approaching the process with sensitivity and are comprehensively evaluating all potential scenarios.

MSG Chairman Ferhat Göçer made the following statement after the meeting: “Our goal is to build a fair system that encompasses all components of the industry and extends to the base of the music ecosystem, collaboratively and on lasting foundations. We aim to establish a transparent and sustainable digital music system through shared wisdom. We are pleased to have found an open platform for communication with Spotify in this direction. We hope this meeting will be the beginning of lasting and constructive steps.”