Live data from Hacker News

The App Store, Spotify, and Europe's thriving digital music market

apple.com

11–20 of 69 posts

Re: The App Store, Spotify, and Europe's thriving digital music market

#11
>and pays Apple nothing for the services that have helped make them one of the most recognizable brands in the world.

It says a lot that the €100 developer fee (I'd imagine Spotify pay for multiple licences in multiple countries) that Apple consider it nothing. It probably is 'negligible' given the size of Spotify but also don't even consider highly popular apps like Spotify 'contributing' to App Store ecosystem that has also helped Apple.

Their press statements are starting to become more and more snarky. They would do better to keep their chin up and keep going. This sort of snark is more befitting of Ryanair than Apple.

Re: The App Store, Spotify, and Europe's thriving digital music market

#12
If Apple wanted to destroy Spotify they would simply drop prices by 30%, and Spotify would be unable to compete with that pricing because of the Apple tax.

Why should Apple have that much leverage? They didn't even "build the platform", they took an Open Source platform, put the Apple logo to it, and then proceeded to EEE like good old Microsoft.

Apple is in the wrong here, or they charge the Apple tax to music apps, or they have Apple music. They can't have both.

OTOH, I don't see Apple paying 30% of their revenue to the Open Source maintainers that made "the platform" possible.

Re: The App Store, Spotify, and Europe's thriving digital music market

#13
post #9

The press release somehow forgot to touch the core of the fine: apple customers paid higher subscription fee for apple music than they would for Spotify because it's against app store policy to inform that Spotify has a cheaper subscription if they don't want to pay apple 30% cut...

Spotify doesn’t pay Apple anything and yet has a 56% share of the EU market.

The market share of iOS in the EU is only around 35% though. The market this is about isn't the market for music streaming apps but the market for iOS apps.

Re: The App Store, Spotify, and Europe's thriving digital music market

#14
post #12

If Apple wanted to destroy Spotify they would simply drop prices by 30%, and Spotify would be unable to compete with that pricing because of the Apple tax. Why should Apple have that much leverage? They didn't even "build the platform", they took an Open Source platform, put the Apple logo to it, and then proceeded to EEE like good old Microsoft. Apple is in the wrong here, or they charge the Apple tax to music apps,…

So you are arguing that companies should avoid using open source?

Re: The App Store, Spotify, and Europe's thriving digital music market

#15
post #14
post #12

If Apple wanted to destroy Spotify they would simply drop prices by 30%, and Spotify would be unable to compete with that pricing because of the Apple tax. Why should Apple have that much leverage? They didn't even "build the platform", they took an Open Source platform, put the Apple logo to it, and then proceeded to EEE like good old Microsoft. Apple is in the wrong here, or they charge the Apple tax to music apps,…

So you are arguing that companies should avoid using open source?

No, I'm arguing that if Apple feels entitled to steal 30% of my hard earned money, then the open source maintainers should also feel the same entitlement, because without their work there would be no iOS, and no App Store.

Apple owes their existence to the Open Source maintainers the same way Apple claims I owe my existence to their proprietary APIs.

Re: The App Store, Spotify, and Europe's thriving digital music market

#16
post #11

>and pays Apple nothing for the services that have helped make them one of the most recognizable brands in the world. It says a lot that the €100 developer fee (I'd imagine Spotify pay for multiple licences in multiple countries) that Apple consider it nothing. It probably is 'negligible' given the size of Spotify but also don't even consider highly popular apps like Spotify 'contributing' to App Store ecosystem that…

Apple is not taking in consideration that the argument works completely in reverse, without all the apps paying them a 30% cut, or developers investing time into creating apps for their ecosystem there would be no iOS in 2024.

Re: The App Store, Spotify, and Europe's thriving digital music market

#17
These last few legal responses from Apple are really damaging their "cool" factor. Apple has, for some time now, succeeded by staying quiet and just shipping high quality stuff.

Their PR / legal team acting like children when they don't get what they want is a genuine harm to their brand. It's amazing to me that these press releases are approved.

Re: The App Store, Spotify, and Europe's thriving digital music market

#19
post #8

Apple fights hard to not allow users to install from other sources on devices they own, so they can charge rent from developers, then complains when some apps that are too big for them to control are installed from the sole app store. The solution is pretty simple, let people use the devices they own as they want; allow multiple app stores; allow people to download binaries and install on their devices.

Or, let people choose the other platform that already allows them just that.

What some people may not understand is that a large percentage of Apple customers are buying iPhones because of those restrictions and not in spite of them.

Re: The App Store, Spotify, and Europe's thriving digital music market

#20
post #16
post #11

>and pays Apple nothing for the services that have helped make them one of the most recognizable brands in the world. It says a lot that the €100 developer fee (I'd imagine Spotify pay for multiple licences in multiple countries) that Apple consider it nothing. It probably is 'negligible' given the size of Spotify but also don't even consider highly popular apps like Spotify 'contributing' to App Store ecosystem that…

Apple is not taking in consideration that the argument works completely in reverse, without all the apps paying them a 30% cut, or developers investing time into creating apps for their ecosystem there would be no iOS in 2024.

They are working the narrative as hard as they can.
Post reply on HN