If you’re new to this fight, take a look at Spotify posts their specific gripes about Apple and the App Store.
Shots fired across Apple’s bow.
Spotify’s post was two days ago. Yesterday, Apple fired back:
What Spotify is demanding is something very different. After using the App Store for years to dramatically grow their business, Spotify seeks to keep all the benefits of the App Store ecosystem — including the substantial revenue that they draw from the App Store’s customers — without making any contributions to that marketplace. At the same time, they distribute the music you love while making ever-smaller contributions to the artists, musicians and songwriters who create it — even going so far as to take these creators to court.
Does Spotify pay Apple to be in the App Store? Try this exercise:
- Launch the Spotify app
- Logout (if you already have an account) and create a new account
- Jump through a few hoops, then tap the Premium tab at the bottom of the screen
- You’ll see a message that says “You can’t upgrade to Premium in the app”
So Spotify is complaining about a tax that they do not pay.
Add in the fact that Spotify is fighting the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board ruling that would increase payouts to songwriters by 44%. Notably, Apple is on board with the royalty increase.
To me, both of these things just get in the way of any valid points Spotify might be making. Not a good look.
Take the time to read Apple’s Addressing Spotify’s claims post. It’s well crafted and, to me, legitimate.
I am certainly on board with Apples right to charge pay to play on their platform, but their response to me came off a little bit off color, they of anyone should know Spotify isn’t “suing” creators over the royalty rates, they are appealing the rate increase which is a huge difference and undermines the valid points they do make and quite frankly smearing and BS is not usually their style so its disheartening to see here.
Spotify remains completely full of shit.
I don’t think Spotify is justified in most of their claims, but they raised the very valid point that Apple sends promotional push notifications that their app store rules forbid anyone else from sending. And Apple nowhere addressed this point.
You should check the dictionary definition before arguing that the word is incorrect. It’s correct.
I would agree, had I ever received one of these push notifications. Have you? Maybe they’re just not doing them in Canada, but I never have.
Nor have I.
Rodents of unusual size? I don’t think they exist. 🙂
Michael Tsai has reasonable comments on Apple response, both his own and a lot of others. Whatever you think about Spotify I’d say Apples response was not very good at all.
https://mjtsai.com/blog/2019/03/15/apple-responds-to-spotify/
Does that require allowing notifications in Music settings? Or is this happening regardless of settings?
It’s irrelevant. Whether or not you have notifications enabled, Apple’s App Store rules state that notifications “should not be used for advertising, promotions, or direct marketing purposes…Abuse of these services may result in revocation of your privileges.” They clearly are not following their own rules in this area.
“So Spotify is complaining about a tax that they do not pay.”
Well, yeah. They’re complaining that people aren’t willing to sign up via the website and pay separately, and they also don’t want to pay Apple a cut.
Why this is Apple’s problem is beyond me.
Please show us a screen shot of one of these supposed push notifications. I used to work for Apple and I have never heard of this, ever. Are you talking about an email campaign? That’s quite different than a push notification for advertising, which to the best of my knowledge, Apple has NEVER done.