Updated December 8: Spotify has officially announced, via its communications manager Farshad Shadloo, that there is nothing planned regarding the integration of subscription solutions into the app from an iPhone or iPad , contrary to what the rumor detailed below suggested (source).
Spotify could very soon offer in-app purchases on iOS again. Understand that it will no longer be necessary to use a browser to subscribe to the platform from your iPhone, unlike today. It was within the code of a beta version of the app that a mention of this new feature was discovered, before being shared by the mediaMacRumorswhich we relay regularly.
If Spotify has decided to stop offering subscriptions to be paid with the App Store, it is for good reason. The company assumes that “it's not ideal“, but this is explained because Apple today charges a hefty commission of no less than 30% on each in-app purchase. In order to avoid passing this cost on to the price of the packages displayed to consumers, Spotify has therefore chosen to only offer its offers from an external source (Safari, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, etc.) and at the base price.
Be careful, however: if you want to install this beta version to take advantage of the change, we do not recommend it. First of all, because we do not yet know if the new payment functionality can be used with this version. Perhaps it is in fact only a “draft” of the option created by the developers, but which is not yet usable. On the other hand, you should know that advanced app editions like these are potentially riddled with bugs. There is therefore a significant risk of facing technical problems when installing the beta. And we know that cutting streaming can, in certain situations where it is almost essential, make our listening very uncomfortable.
No loss of earnings for Spotify, but for users
But then, concretely, how could this novelty affect users? Undoubtedly, the future prices offered by Spotify when settling with the App Store are likely to be much higher than those available on its official website. For comparison, X (new name of Twitter) for example offers its “Premium” subscription for 8 euros on the web compared to 25 euros per month from its iOS app – but such a difference remains an exception.
Taking into account the 30% taken by Apple, we can imagine that Spotify's “Personal” package at 10.99 euros per month will be 30% more expensive with purchase via the App Store. Which is equivalent to a little more than 14.2 euros per month, which the service could round up to 14.99 euros per month. Spotify also offers a subscription for students at 5.99 euros per month, which could then amount to 7.99 euros per month according to our calculations.
Note, however, that Apple sometimes grants certain privileges to certain developers. We know, for example, that studios have been able to negotiate a commission rate of 15%. This reduction is also granted to Amazon, but the magazineThe Verge explain(article in English) that it is unlikely to see more publishers taking advantage of the same advantage in the near future.
For the smallest budgets, there is no doubt that Spotify will still continue to offer its subscriptions at the usual prices from its website.
French officials get involved
In France, soon, MPs could also adopt a law forcing Apple to “authorize” purchases on iOS that do not go through the App Store, and which therefore avoid the 30% commission. But as you will have understood, the Cupertino giant has already taken the lead, moreover Spotify is clearly not the only publisher to circumvent the targeted “tax”.
Other platforms could be targeted by future legislation. However, we know that the Google Play Store should do quite well if new regulations are applied. The Mountain View store already offers several remuneration choices to developers, including the possibility of going through a third-party payment platform.
We also know that other countries in the European Union have already looked into the issue of the App Store tax, such as the Netherlands.Not counting the United Kingdomand the United States, outside the Old Continent. On site, the Senate is still studying the matter, while an investigation carried out directly by the European Commission could also lead to changes imposed on GAFAM.
Spotify
Pair : Spotify Ltd.
