Addressing Spotify’s Claims

Re:Addressing Spotify’s Claims by ocdtrekkie on Friday March 15, 2019 @02:30AM (#19397071)

Apple won't find itself standing alone. Other major distributors like Google and Valve are both happy to take 30% off the top of app sales too, and if the chance comes to speak up in support, they will. But the difference is both of them can be circumvented by competitors, for instance Epic Games, who is challenging both. (Epic is launching an Android store soon.) Apple can't be, and that's likely to be the crux of any action against them.

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Re:Addressing Spotify’s Claims by chrischen on Friday March 15, 2019 @02:32AM (#19397086)

I currently subscribe to Spotify, use the iOS Spotify App, and do not make payments through in-app payments nor do I pay the 30% Apple tax. So it is circumventable, and Spotify is just "optimizing" their revenues here. So at least compared to Steam, Apple's platform is actually more open since you aren't required to pay through Apple's platform. Though I'm not sure on the current requirements for in-app purchases, so correct me if I'm wrong.

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Re:Addressing Spotify’s Claims by snorlaxle on Friday March 15, 2019 @03:57AM (#19397568)

I buy Steam games from Humble Bundle all the time. The developers can actually generate steam keys and sell their game directly. https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/features/keys

As far as I know you can't do that on iOS. There's also nothing stopping the devs from selling IAP themselves on their own website. So no, Steam is much much more open than Apple's App store. Not to mention the fact that Steam is completely optional and the App store is not.

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Re:Addressing Spotify’s Claims by madeofpalk on Friday March 15, 2019 @09:26AM (#19399456)

> As far as I know you can't do that on iOS.

Not at scale, no, but you can generate promo codes (up to a limit - maybe 100?) to distribute your paid app for free.

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Re:Addressing Spotify’s Claims by social_quotient on Friday March 15, 2019 @02:44AM (#19397152)

Discussion or capture of money must go through apple. The hinting of circumventing has to be really vague And creates a weird ux. IMO you have to follow the rules and pay the toll

https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#in-...

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Re:Addressing Spotify’s Claims by zaidf on Friday March 15, 2019 @02:33AM (#19397091)

But the difference is both of them can be circumvented by competitors

If the App Store could be circumvented as easily, Spotify probably wouldn't be raising this issue to begin with.

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Re:Addressing Spotify’s Claims by threeseed on Friday March 15, 2019 @04:19AM (#19397690)

It can be circumvented quite easily and Spotify already does.

You can upgrade to Spotify Premium through a website which they advertise during their free tier ads.

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Re:Addressing Spotify’s Claims by gtyras2mrs on Friday March 15, 2019 @04:00PM (#19403642)

I think Spotify's complaint here is that they can't tell users of the iOS app to upgrade via the website.

Apple doesn't allow that apparently.

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Re:Addressing Spotify’s Claims by LoSboccacc on Friday March 15, 2019 @01:50PM (#19402257)

steam gets 30% of sales from within the steam storefront, but O from sales of steam keys from other channels

epic is not the saviour here, they're dumping cash to bring shitty console practices to the pc ecosystem, namely storefront exclusives

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