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The Apple press release response is here: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/03/the-app-store-spotify-and-europes-thriving-digital-music-market/ https://www.ap

by jph 3y ago

The Apple press release response is here: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/03/the-app-store-spotify-and-europes-thriving-digital-music-market/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/03/the-app-store-spotify...

Gravityloss 3y ago
Interesting claim: > Today, Spotify has a 56 percent share of Europe’s music streaming market — more than double their closest competitor’s — and pays Apple nothing for the services that have helped make them one of the most recognizable brands in the world. Don't they have to pay the provision of the subscription like other apps? EDIT: actually read the letter and they indeed don't (thanks for the responses too)
- lutoma 3y ago
  Spotify does not allow you to subscribe in their iOS app. You have to do that in a browser and then log in. That way Apple does not get a cut.
  - transcriptase 3y ago
    It’s telling that Apple would rather get 30% of 0 than lower their fees to the point where it’s mutually beneficial for Spotify and other large apps to offer in-app subscriptions. If an app is charging users $1000 a month, what entitles Apple to $300 of that versus the $3 of a $10 subscription? It seems like more of a tax than a fee that allows Apple to profitably operate the store and infrastructure.
- ankit219 3y ago
  It explains it later that spotify does not allow for subscription via App store. so, all they pay is $100 per year as a dev fee which is basically nothing. Apple also claims that they flew an engineer to Sweden to help out Spotify.
- raverbashing 3y ago
  > pays Apple nothing Nothing? Not even the developers fees? C'mon Apple
- pohuing 3y ago
  Apparently not. Spotify sells their subscriptions on their website.
- efraim 3y ago
  > Today, Spotify has a 56 percent share of Europe’s music streaming market — more than double their closest competitor’s — and pays Apple nothing for the services that have helped make them one of the most recognizable brands in the world. And they shouldn't have to, users should be able to install whatever software they want on their devices without paying a gatekeeper for it. Spotify exists on the web as well, they don't have to pay Google or Mozilla for delivering the service to their users. They don't have to pay Microsoft when users downloads and installs desktop software for windows. So why should Apple get any money because users install Spotify on their iphones? I'm sure Spotify pays Google for their cloud services that actually helps make them successful.
  - ralfd 3y ago
    > they don't have to pay Google or Mozilla for delivering the service to their users. Spotify has a secret deal with Google: https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/20/23969690/google-spotify-android-billing-commission-secret-deal https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/20/23969690/google-spotify-...
- trollied 3y ago
  $100/year dev license. Not bad for 119 billion downloads!
  - Mindwipe 3y ago
    If Apple want to charge more for X-code and it's not mandatory to use it to sign the keys they should. I think everyone knows how that would go for them in a competitive market.
- have_faith 3y ago
  So much arrogance from them recently. The biggest threat to Apple right now are themselves.
- grishka 3y ago
  > for the services that have helped make them one of the most recognizable brands in the world I'm pretty sure Apple did nothing for that, Spotify's own marketing did. It's not like people discover that Spotify is a thing thanks to the app store.
aquatica 3y ago
Their response is the kind of arrogant that makes me want to see them get fined for the entirety of their cash reserve.
- t8sr 3y ago
  Seriously, what audience is Apple playing this to? The insinuations made in this press release should get them sued again for libel. Not to mention how off putting this kind of tantrum is for their customers. JFC, they really need to fix their PR team here.
- geodel 3y ago
  LoL. Under what law? Perhaps "I don't like it Law"
madsbuch 3y ago
From the article: > Spotify Pays Apple Nothing This sound like a child not getting their ice-cream. Why does Apple feel entitled to get anything from Spotify? There has never been any precedence that application developers owe the platform they publish their applications on anything. Also, Spotify never asked for an app store. They have been imposed an app store. And now Apple feel entitled to payment for that service? You have to be a government to set taxes.
- criddell 3y ago
  There's more than 45 years of precedent if you want to count video game consoles.
  - grishka 3y ago
    Video game consoles are seen by most people, and marketed by their manufacturers, as appliances for playing video games. iPhones and iPads, on the other hand, are seen and marketed as general-purpose computing/communication devices. It's unprecedented for such a non-appliance to be locked down like this.
    - nozzlegear 3y ago
      I’d contend that it’s not unprecedented, given that the iPhone is now 17 something years old.
      - grishka 3y ago
        I mean, no other platform did that neither before nor after the iPhone came out. To my knowledge, all other smartphone OSes ever made had some way of sideloading apps.
        nozzlegear 3y ago
        True, I guess what I was trying to say is that everything's unprecedented until somebody makes the precedent.
javier_e06 3y ago
I search Apple's response for the word cheaper and the phrase 'less expensive' which is the issue at hand, Apple insistence and not letting developer offer less expensive options in their own store. I found nothing of the sort. Apple is not a store, its a Mall. Imagine a Mall where security people enters your store to verify that you are not advertising stores at different Mall or else you get booted?

by jph 3y ago

Gravityloss 3y ago

Interesting claim: > Today, Spotify has a 56 percent share of Europe’s music streaming market — more than double their closest competitor’s — and pays Apple nothing for the services that have helped make them one of the most recognizable brands in the world. Don't they have to pay the provision of the subscription like other apps? EDIT: actually read the letter and they indeed don't (thanks for the responses too)

lutoma 3y ago
Spotify does not allow you to subscribe in their iOS app. You have to do that in a browser and then log in. That way Apple does not get a cut.
- transcriptase 3y ago
  It’s telling that Apple would rather get 30% of 0 than lower their fees to the point where it’s mutually beneficial for Spotify and other large apps to offer in-app subscriptions. If an app is charging users $1000 a month, what entitles Apple to $300 of that versus the $3 of a $10 subscription? It seems like more of a tax than a fee that allows Apple to profitably operate the store and infrastructure.
ankit219 3y ago
It explains it later that spotify does not allow for subscription via App store. so, all they pay is $100 per year as a dev fee which is basically nothing. Apple also claims that they flew an engineer to Sweden to help out Spotify.
raverbashing 3y ago
> pays Apple nothing Nothing? Not even the developers fees? C'mon Apple
pohuing 3y ago
Apparently not. Spotify sells their subscriptions on their website.
efraim 3y ago
> Today, Spotify has a 56 percent share of Europe’s music streaming market — more than double their closest competitor’s — and pays Apple nothing for the services that have helped make them one of the most recognizable brands in the world. And they shouldn't have to, users should be able to install whatever software they want on their devices without paying a gatekeeper for it. Spotify exists on the web as well, they don't have to pay Google or Mozilla for delivering the service to their users. They don't have to pay Microsoft when users downloads and installs desktop software for windows. So why should Apple get any money because users install Spotify on their iphones? I'm sure Spotify pays Google for their cloud services that actually helps make them successful.
- ralfd 3y ago
  > they don't have to pay Google or Mozilla for delivering the service to their users. Spotify has a secret deal with Google: https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/20/23969690/google-spotify-android-billing-commission-secret-deal https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/20/23969690/google-spotify-...
trollied 3y ago
$100/year dev license. Not bad for 119 billion downloads!
- Mindwipe 3y ago
  If Apple want to charge more for X-code and it's not mandatory to use it to sign the keys they should. I think everyone knows how that would go for them in a competitive market.
have_faith 3y ago
So much arrogance from them recently. The biggest threat to Apple right now are themselves.
grishka 3y ago
> for the services that have helped make them one of the most recognizable brands in the world I'm pretty sure Apple did nothing for that, Spotify's own marketing did. It's not like people discover that Spotify is a thing thanks to the app store.

aquatica 3y ago

Their response is the kind of arrogant that makes me want to see them get fined for the entirety of their cash reserve.

t8sr 3y ago
Seriously, what audience is Apple playing this to? The insinuations made in this press release should get them sued again for libel. Not to mention how off putting this kind of tantrum is for their customers. JFC, they really need to fix their PR team here.
geodel 3y ago
LoL. Under what law? Perhaps "I don't like it Law"

madsbuch 3y ago

From the article: > Spotify Pays Apple Nothing This sound like a child not getting their ice-cream. Why does Apple feel entitled to get anything from Spotify? There has never been any precedence that application developers owe the platform they publish their applications on anything. Also, Spotify never asked for an app store. They have been imposed an app store. And now Apple feel entitled to payment for that service? You have to be a government to set taxes.

criddell 3y ago
There's more than 45 years of precedent if you want to count video game consoles.
- grishka 3y ago
  Video game consoles are seen by most people, and marketed by their manufacturers, as appliances for playing video games. iPhones and iPads, on the other hand, are seen and marketed as general-purpose computing/communication devices. It's unprecedented for such a non-appliance to be locked down like this.
  - nozzlegear 3y ago
    I’d contend that it’s not unprecedented, given that the iPhone is now 17 something years old.
    - grishka 3y ago
      I mean, no other platform did that neither before nor after the iPhone came out. To my knowledge, all other smartphone OSes ever made had some way of sideloading apps.
      - nozzlegear 3y ago
        True, I guess what I was trying to say is that everything's unprecedented until somebody makes the precedent.

javier_e06 3y ago

I search Apple's response for the word cheaper and the phrase 'less expensive' which is the issue at hand, Apple insistence and not letting developer offer less expensive options in their own store. I found nothing of the sort. Apple is not a store, its a Mall. Imagine a Mall where security people enters your store to verify that you are not advertising stores at different Mall or else you get booted?