Sinan Erdemsel was born in Istanbul in 1968. From a young age he was exposed to music by his family and at the Ümmî Sinan Tekkesi. His grandfather, Talip Kargi, saw the passion that young Sinan had for music, and surprised him with his first oud at age 13. Sinan and his brother Faruk formed a duet, first playing at family and Sufi music concerts with other musicians. In 1985, he enrolled at the Turkish Music Conservatory (TMDK) where he studied with Halil Aksoy, Mutlu Torun, and Yurdal Tokcan.
He is a member of Turkish Historical Music Ensemble (TTMT), a group founded by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism to preserve ancient Ottoman music. With TTMT he has traveled around the world.