Apple today hit back at the claims made by Spotify which criticized it for its unfair business practices. The Cupertino company says that with the App Store, it is offering a safe and secure platform to users and developers alike with the same set of rules for all.

Apple says that after using the App Store to grow its business, Spotify is now demanding that it gets all the benefits of the App Store ecosystem while not having to make any contributions towards its maintenance and upkeep. Apple says that even apart from the App Store, Spotify is paying lesser and lesser contributions to artists, musicians and songwriters and even taking them to the court.

Spotify had accused Apple of rejecting its app updates on baseless grounds. Apple says that it has cleared nearly 200 Spotify app updates which resulted in over 300 million downloads. The only time Apple refused an update was when Spotify tried to sidetrack the App Store rules.

Apple adds that it reached out to Spotify multiple times over Siri and AirPlay 2 support and every time they were informed that it was being worked upon. Apple also found Spotify’s accusations in regards to Apple Watch surprising since it approved its WatchOS app in September 2018 with the same speed and process as it approved any other app.

Apple even discloses that the majority of Spotify customers use its ad-supported plan which does not make any contribution to the App Store. Similarly, most Spotify customers join the platform via partnerships with mobile carriers which again does not help the App Store in any way.

Let’s be clear about what that means. Apple connects Spotify to our users. We provide the platform by which users download and update their app. We share critical software development tools to support Spotify’s app building. And we built a secure payment system — no small undertaking — which allows users to have faith in in-app transactions. Spotify is asking to keep all those benefits while also retaining 100 percent of the revenue.

Apple even goes so far ahead to claim that Spotify is trying to make money off other’s hard work and this is something it is trying to do not just with the App Store but also with musicians. Spotify has sued music creators in the US after a decision by the US Copyright Royalty Board ordered it to increase its royalty payments.

We Want to Hear From You

What do you think about this battle between Spotify and Apple? Do you think Spotify is correct here? Or Apple is right to charge a certain fee for the uptake of the App Store?

[Via Apple]

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