The Podcast Ecosystem in Türkiye - growth and consolidation
In September 2004, the term “podcasting” became popular with US creators. Just one month later, Serdar Kuzuloğlu, one of Türkiye’s prominent technology writers, mentioned the term in a blog post: the first time the word appeared in Turkish media. The article was titled “Trend: Podcasting.”
In 2005, Kuzuloğlu released his radio program as a podcast, marking Türkiye’s first-ever podcast. Despite some attempts in the following years, however, podcasts struggled to gain significant traction in the country.
The podcasting world began gaining momentum in Türkiye a few years before the pandemic, experiencing a rapid surge afterward. Spotify’s now-defunct Chartable revealed that Türkiye recorded an annual 5.2x increase in per-device podcast downloads in 2020, positioning it as the global leader in audience growth. At the same time, the number of Turkish-language podcasts grew 3.5x in 2020.
As of 2025, Türkiye boasts over 20,000 Turkish-language podcast channels and more than 400,000 episodes, according to the Podcast Index. Meanwhile, Listen Notes reports around 14,000 Turkish-language podcast channels, making Turkish the 15th most-produced podcast language globally.
In the years since the pandemic, Türkiye’s podcast ecosystem has developed its own key players and institutional frameworks. While there is still much ground to cover, it is clear that the ecosystem is becoming increasingly structured. New initiatives continue to emerge across all levels of the sector.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the key developments:
Podcast Networks and Production Agencies
The first significant actors in the field were podcast networks and production companies. Studios such as Medyapod, Podcaster App, Podcast BPT, Bubble Works Media, Podfresh, and Socrates Podcast have continued to sustain their production activities. Notably, Podkids, a podcast network for children, remains active, with new networks continually emerging.
Podcast networks and production companies often operate in overlapping domains, fulfilling multiple roles within the ecosystem.
Podcast Apps
Over the past five years, Türkiye has seen the rise of several podcast applications. These include:
- Law Podcast, focusing on legal content.
- Podcaster App, Türkiye’s first global podcast application.
- Podcast Dinle, offering private network broadcasts.
- Poddy and Karma Türkiye, the latest additions.
Additionally, there are audio-focused platforms that support podcasting, such as TRT Dinle, Storytel Türkiye, Dinlebi, Power App, Karnaval, and Fizzy.
Podcast Training
Training programs have become a significant focus for the industry. Organizations like TGS Akademi, Podcaster App Akademi, Podeus Akademi, and Podfresh have prioritized education, organizing workshops across various cities.
News Lab Turkey has also spearheaded podcast incubation programs, offering long-term support to potential podcasters.
Podcast Research
As in every field, the importance of data in the podcasting domain cannot be underestimated. In this regard, there are notable examples of research conducted in Türkiye. Notable studies include:
- Podbee Media’s research with Ipsos Türkiye.
- Podfresh’s collaboration with Kimola conducted research that provided new insights beyond global data to better understand the ecosystem.
- Podcaster App and News Lab Turkey’s study, “From Producer to Listener: The Podcast Ecosystem.” focusing on both listeners and podcasters through focus group discussions.
- Karnaval Radio published “Türkiye’s Sound Map” report.
Academic Podcast Studies
Academia has also embraced podcasting as a research subject. To date, Türkiye has seen the publication of 34 master’s and doctoral theses on podcasts, 25 of which were released after 2021.
Moreover, Istanbul University,Türkiye’s oldest university, is conducting a research project funded by TÜBİTAK, the institution in Türkiye funding scientific research, focusing on the political economy of podcasting. Podcasts have also been incorporated into the curriculum at prominent universities, including Üsküdar University, Medipol University, Istanbul University, Yeditepe University, and Bilgi University.
Podcast Events
Türkiye hosts various events centered on podcasting, including:
- Online sessions focused on the future of audio, recurring for two years and primarily targeting the advertising industry, led by MMA Türkiye.
- Within the audio working group under IAB Turkey, podcast has become an important topic.
- “Podcast Dinliyorum” events organized by Bubble Works Media are community meetups.
- Podcast summits, live recordings, and listener meetups are other events that can be mentioned.
- Additionally, podcast awards have been given for the past three years by Power App, a radio organization.
Advertising and Branding
The podcast industry has attracted attention from advertisers and brands. IAB Türkiye supports the sector through analyses and reports, while Poddict has launched solutions for podcast advertising. Brands in Türkiye are not only sponsoring podcasts but also producing their own.
Karnaval Radio, with its “Voice 2 Business” model, invests heavily in digital audio, including podcasts. According to Deloitte, digital audio investments—including podcasts—reached ₺1.1bn (US $31mn) in the first half of 2024, marking a 175% increase from the previous year.
News Media and Podcasts
Traditional and digital news outlets have also joined the podcast movement. Anadolu Agency, Türkiye’s official news agency, is the only one between the conventional sector that created a podcast network.
Digital-born news platforms like Aposto, Kısa Dalga, Medyascope, and Daktilo 1984 have made significant investments in podcasting. Notably, Aposto’s 6.30 Podcast has become a standout in the news podcast category.
Podcast Media
Publications like Podcast Gazetesi and Podcast Turkey provide weekly insights into the podcast world, including recommendations, industry news, and tips for podcasters.
Conclusion
Türkiye’s podcast ecosystem is rapidly evolving into a more institutionalized structure. Networks, agencies, applications, academic research, and the interest of both traditional and digital media showcase the industry’s importance and the intense effort put into this area. These steps towards institutionalization in Türkiye are laying a stronger foundation for the podcast industry, while paving the way for more investment and innovation in the future.
Situated at the crossroads of East and West, Türkiye’s rich storytelling tradition, high digital adoption rates and high digital usage rates position it as a promising market for podcasts.
