Apple finally allows Spotify to show pricing information to EU users on its iOS app



On Wednesday, August 14, 2024 (local time), music streaming service Spotify announced that it had received approval from Apple to display pricing information in its iOS app.

Apple finally allows Spotify to show pricing info to EU users on iOS | TechCrunch

https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/14/apple-finally-allows-spotify-to-show-pricing-info-to-eu-users-on-ios/

In March 2024, Apple was fined 1.84 billion euros (about 299 billion yen) by European regulators for violating antitrust laws. In response, Apple has been in talks with Spotify to allow it to share price information on its iOS app for EU users.

Apple ordered by EU to pay huge fine of 294 billion yen and change App Store rules for antitrust violations - GIGAZINE



Spotify has also announced that it has been approved by Apple to display pricing information on its iOS app. This means that the app can now display pricing information for Spotify's paid subscription plans and digital products, including audiobooks.

However, Spotify will not insert a link to its own website because inserting a hyperlink would result in Apple taking a 27% commission on sales, and Spotify has no intention of paying Apple a commission on sales.

Apple finally allows in-app insertion of external purchase links containing parameters, but Spotify and Epic strongly oppose the fee - GIGAZINE



Spotify does not intend to insert a hyperlink to its own website in the app to avoid paying a portion of the sales to Apple as a commission. Instead, it seems that they are trying to direct users to Spotify's official website without clearly stating the domain name or hyperlink including '.com' in the in-app text. According to Spotify, Apple does not even allow the text 'spotify.com' to be included in the app, which is not a hyperlink.



Now that Spotify is able to display pricing information on its iOS app, it plans to run a promotion encouraging users in the EU to upgrade to a Spotify subscription plan via its official website.

The move is a small step towards Spotify's goal of offering paid plans to customers via its own fee-free payment platform, and the company will continue to fight to be able to link to its website from its iOS app without paying fees to Apple.

Spotify wrote about the change, 'While this is progress, it is only a small step on the long road to providing iPhone users with the fundamental product experience they expect and deserve in our apps - the experience that other smartphone users already enjoy. Unfortunately, despite the EC's ruling, the unlawful and predatory fees that Apple continues to demand mean that Spotify and all music streaming services in the EU remain free to offer consumers the simple opportunity to click a link and make a purchase within the app.'

in Mobile,   Software,   Web Service, Posted by logu_ii