Spotify’s updated app featuring direct purchases is now available in the App Store.
Apple has approved an update to the Spotify app, enabling direct purchasing links and price displays, following a court ruling on April 30 that mandated the changes.
Spotify spokesperson Jeanne Moran stated, “There is more work to do, but today marks a significant milestone for developers and entrepreneurs aiming to create [apps] and compete on a fairer basis.”
With the integration of direct links to their own store, Spotify and other developers can bypass Apple’s 30 percent commission on in-app purchases. A 2021 ruling by Judge Rogers determined that Apple could not require developers to utilize only App Store links.
After the ruling, Spotify submitted an app update on May 1, which Apple approved the following day. This update allows users to make in-app purchases and subscribe to services without incurring Apple’s commission.
The judge directed Apple to cease enforcing commissions on purchases made via web links within iPhone and iPad apps. Although Apple plans to comply with Judge Rogers’ order, it also intends to file an appeal.
In a statement, Apple expressed strong disagreement with the ruling but revised its guidelines on May 2 to permit direct pricing information in app listings.
Moran highlighted that Spotify has been advocating for pricing transparency and purchase links in the App Store version of its app for nearly ten years. The two companies have engaged in various disputes, including issues surrounding audiobooks and Apple’s adherence to the Digital Markets Act, among others.
Users can now subscribe to services, and adjust or cancel their plans directly within the newly updated Spotify app, version 9.0.40.
While Apple has complied with the court order to allow apps like Spotify to provide direct in-app purchasing, legal challenges remain. Judge Rogers found Apple in contempt of court for willfully violating her previous order.
She also noted that Apple’s Vice President of Finance, Alex Roman, misrepresented the timeline of when the company introduced a 27 percent fee on certain purchases linked to the App Store. The case has now been referred to U.S. attorneys, who may pursue criminal contempt charges against both Roman and Apple.