The CEO of SpotifyDaniel Ek recently criticized what they call Apple’s “anti-competitive behavior”. Specifically, the audio service does not agree with the apple company’s policy of charging 30% for service transactions in its application store.
At first, this would not affect Spotify because its business model is based on the single download of its app and then living on a monthly subscription from its users. It does, however, affect listeners’ ability to buy audiobooks without paying that 30% to Apple.
Audiobooks aren’t free, so Spotify can’t offer them in the same way as your music or podcast. The company with the green logo must pay Apple the fee to download the books through the App Store.
“The audiobook purchase flow that Apple rules require us to provide to consumers today is too complicated and confusing. Confusing because they arbitrarily change the rules, making them impossible to interpret,” Spotify said in a press release addressed directly to Apple.
“Simply put, we are forced to make users struggle even more to listen to an audiobook. This harms not only consumers but also authors and publishers who are now under Apple’s control.”
“Apple is doing serious damage”: Spotify CEO
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek also noted that his company has filed a complaint against Apple with the European Commission, saying Apple is “doing serious harm” and “stifling the competition.”
Ek has not yet received a decision from the authorities in this regard.
“Apple has shown time and time again that it will not self-regulate and has no real incentive to change,” Ek said.
“With our launch of Audiobooks, Apple has once again shown how brazen it is willing to be with its App Store rules, constantly changing the goalposts to put its competitors at a disadvantage.”
Apple has not publicly responded to Spotify’s comments.
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