Spotify Who Doesn't Like Apple Cheating

Illustration of Spotify in the Apps Store (unsplash)

JAKARTA - Music streaming service Spotify asks Apple Inc to be more selective about developers who are detrimental to its application platform. The requests coincide after Spotify filed an antitrust complaint with the European Union (EU) a year ago.

Chief Executive Officer of Spotify Technology, Daniel Ek, said that Apple is imposing new rules on the App Store page. Thus limiting the choice of devices that get app updates.

In an EU complaint filed last year, Spotify said Apple was both a platform provider and competitor, acting as both a player and a referee deliberately harming other app developers.

Spotify specifically protested about the 30 percent fee that must be paid to the App Store as an application tax. With the tax, forcing Spotify to charge subscribers via the ‌App Store ‌12.99 US dollars per month for its Premium plan and generate 9.99 US dollars per month for the music streaming company income.

Since then, Apple has changed its business pattern by launching a feature for Siri last year that allows the digital assistant to control music services other than Apple's. Spotify has also released a dedicated app to run on updated Apple Watch devices and the Apple TV app in recent months.

"We are very encouraged to be able to use Siri as a way of building voice support and also available to build products for the Apple TV and Apple Watch, something we have not been able to do so far," said Daniel Ek as quoted by MacRumors, Wednesday, May 6.

However, the alleged real problem is whether Spotify was actually prevented from launching the app on Apple TV devices because the platform had other music services available for download on the App Store for several years. However, Apple took this to heart last year, saying that the App Store contributed greatly to Spotify's success.

"The majority of subscribers use their free, ad-supported product, which doesn't make a contribution to the App Store. Even now, only a fraction of their subscriptions fall into Apple's revenue-sharing model. Spotify asks that figure to be zero," Apple said recently.

While Apple currently provides Siri support for Spotify, it is still unlikely that users can run third-party music apps on HomePod speakers or change the default music app on iPhone and iPad. However, Apple plans to start letting music services, including Spotify, be used on HomePods as soon as later this year.

"This is moving in the right direction, but we still have a lot of questions before Spotify sees Apple as an open and fair platform," explained Daniel Ek.

Ek also repeated an earlier statement that he believes Spotify is growing faster than Apple Music. He said Spotify users were twice the number of competitors, including Apple Music.

Apple has taken additional steps in recent months to push back claims that the App Store violates antitrust rules, including deals with video content providers such as Amazon Prime that also evade a 30 percent tax for iOS users to enjoy.