Spotify, as a weary and jaded partner of Apple in terms of payment through the App Store, has long voiced their discontent. They recently criticized Apple’s new policies, masquerading as compliance with the European DMA laws, but in reality, remaining unchanged or even worse.
Spotify raised concerns regarding Apple’s new policies in three key areas. One of the major issues is the imposition of an additional Core Technology Fee, amounting to 0.50 euros per download. Developers already have to pay a 17% commission to the App Store, nearly a double whammy. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that Apple will not impose further increases in the Core Technology Fee in the future.
Developers are already obligated to give Apple a 17% share, but if they choose to offer their own payment methods or add payment links within the app, they will be compelled to make a difficult choice. In some cases, developers are forced to pay Apple more than their traditional payment methods.
Even if Spotify were to withdraw from the App Store and utilize alternative platforms, they would still have to pay Apple. This is because the Core Technology Fee affects existing users as well, and Spotify boasts approximately 100 million users in Europe alone.
Spotify claims that Apple’s supposed new direction is merely a facade, suggesting compliance with DMA laws while still imposing the constraints of the traditional App Store model. The new options proposed by Apple are impractical, leaving the European Commissioners as the last resort to reject Apple’s approach.
TLDR: Spotify has criticized Apple’s new policies, expressing concerns about an additional Core Technology Fee, limited payment options for developers, and the inability to escape Apple’s payment obligations even if they leave the App Store. Spotify argues that Apple’s apparent compliance with DMA laws is merely a charade, leaving the European Commissioners as the potential saviors to reject Apple’s approach.
Leave a Comment