Ceylan Ertem says algorithm costs push Turkish indie musicians into crisis

Turkish singer-songwriter Ceylan Ertem used her social‑media platform to criticize the digital music market, saying that producing a quality song is no longer enough for independent artists to reach listeners. She argued that promotion budgets now exceed the costs of recording, mixing, mastering and even creating cover art and videos.

Ertem pointed to algorithmic filtering, purchasable streaming counts and fake engagement as factors that undermine visibility and erode trust in digital metrics. She quoted British musician James Blake’s remarks on the media’s reliance on advertising and the unreliability of view counts. Ertem urged creators and audiences to question these practices and to focus on music that becomes part of people’s personal memories rather than chasing fleeting trends.