The war between Spotify and Apple Music is nothing new. We talked about it in this article published a few months ago. But it has taken a new turn in recent week. And it could have severe consequences for both platforms and the world of streaming. Apple Music and Spotify are still at war. We explain why!
Apple Music and Spotify are still at war: why?
In early March 2024, the European Commission levied a staggering $1.8 billion fine on Apple. The fine resulted from Apple’s alleged illegal practices on its App Store, a bone of contention for Spotify, Deezer, and other streaming platforms for years. These platforms accused Apple of creating barriers to their services, particularly those that competed with Apple Music in terms of price. After an extensive investigation, the European Commission found Apple’s practices violate current anti-competitive regulations.
Apple’s alleged actions, such as restricting iOS users’ access to information about other apps in the sector, could potentially lead to a significant revenue loss for Spotify, YouTube Music Unlimited, Amazon Music, TIDAL, and others. Moreover, Apple reportedly took up to 30% commission on App Store purchases, a cost that was ultimately passed on to end consumers.
This extra 30% was to be absorbed by Spotify and its competitors, who then passed it on to end consumers. Apple has always defended itself against these practices, but the European Commission has finally found the company guilty—with a very hefty fine. But the story doesn’t end there.
What happened in April 2024?
Following this sanction, Apple claims it now complies with the European DMA (Digital Market Act), adopted on March 7, 2024, and authorizes payment outside the App Store. However, it seems that the fine imposed on Apple was not enough.
In April 2024, Spotify once again denounced Apple’s illegal practices. The Swedish company claimed that Apple had rejected, for no reason whatsoever, an update to Spotify that, among other things, enabled users to pay the basic prices offered by Spotify without the surcharge charged by Apple Music. The update enabled bypassing the payments integrated into the App Store and subscribing directly to the Spotify website.
In an explicit statement published on X, Spotify writes: “Apple continues to break European law, unfortunately, that means we still can’t give EU consumers the information they need and the choices they deserve in our app“.
The rest of the press release can be found below:
Still work to do
So, despite the fine, Apple still does not fully comply with the DMA rules designed to limit anti-competitive practices. Spotify’s press release puts pressure on the European Commission, but it also attacks Apple head-on and publicly. All this is taking place in a tense context for streaming platforms, which, in addition to being criticized by artists for the low revenues they distribute, have been raising their subscription prices for several months.
Speaking to 9to5 Mac, a Spotify representative added:
“Apple has once again defied the European Commission’s decision, rejecting our update for attempting to communicate with customers about our prices unless we pay Apple a new tax. Their disregard for consumers and developers is matched only by their disdain for the law.”
Apple, on the other hand, countered Spotify’s claims by stating that the Swedish company had not adhered to Apple’s new terms and conditions of use, which were updated to comply with the new DMA. Under these circumstances, Apple could not approve Spotify’s update as it did not meet all the requirements. The question of who is right and who is wrong remains unanswered. But it is clear that Apple and Spotify are still locked in a battle of wills.
Apple Music and Spotify are still at war: the consequences.
It’s too early to say how Apple will react to Spotify’s new formal notice. Will Apple bow to pressure and accept Spotify’s update without the Swedish firm updating it again? Or will it, as it did for years before being fined, stick to its guns and defend itself against accusations of illegal competition?
Regardless of the outcome, consumers may bear the brunt of these conflicts. If Spotify’s update is not accepted, it could lead to a potential price increase. This could be particularly felt in the European Union, especially in France, where Spotify is already planning a hike. As a result, France could become the most expensive place in Europe to subscribe to Spotify, according to frandroid.
Apple Music could raise its prices, as it can no longer count on the surplus generated by subscriptions to rival services. Let’s not jump to conclusions, but the open conflict between Spotify and Apple Music will continue. And the eyes of the world are now on Apple Music’s reaction.
The European Union’s intervention in this debate, first with the DMA and now with its example-setting actions, is a significant step. It provides a regulatory framework for a market that could have quickly spiraled out of control, dominated by companies with immense financial resources profiting from a system involving millions of dollars and users.
Transfer your streaming data from Apple Music to Spotify or from Spotify to Apple Music.
Let’s be clear: Soundiiz is not involved in the war between Apple Music and Spotify. We have no influence on the decisions made or the functionalities of either application. What we do know how to do, and have been doing for years, is to make your daily use of Apple Music and Spotify easier.
Soundiiz, a tool independent of the Apple Music and Spotify conflict, is here to empower you. Whether you’re switching from Apple Music to Spotify or vice versa, Soundiiz ensures a seamless transition in just a few minutes without losing any of your accumulated data.
Thanks to our Transfer function, you can transfer your playlists, favorites, albums, and artists from one service to another. We’re constantly improving this function, for which Soundiiz is renowned, to make it as accurate and user-friendly as possible.
You can also store all your data. The main reason you’d want to export your data is to store it in a safe place. Some of our users also generate CSV documents so they can see which songs and albums are in their playlists. Once connected, the downloaded files can be associated with your new account.
You can also synchronize Apple Music or Spotify playlists to find them on the platform of your choice. In this way, you lose almost none of the benefits! You can choose to synchronize one playlist with another by selecting daily, weekly, or monthly frequency. Soundiiz can replace tracks in the destination playlist or add tracks to the end of the current tracklist. Every time you modify a playlist on one platform, this modification will be reflected on the other playlist.
Test Soundiiz, it’s right here!
