Apple will be offering a number of its services as a bundle starting this fall. According to Spotify, this is a threat to ‘the collective freedoms of listening, learning, making and connecting’.
Spotify responds with a brief statement to the news that Apple has announced its long-awaited service Apple One. In it, Apple Music, TV +, Arcade and iCloud are offered bundled for a lower price: customers save 6 to 8 euros per month compared to paying separately for the services.
Despite those savings for the customer, Spotify believes that Apple “is again abusing its dominance position to disadvantage competitors and rob consumers by favoring its own services.” Spotify is calling on competition authorities to act quickly before ‘irreparable damage is caused’.
Apple: ‘Good for customers’
Spotify already filed a complaint against Apple with the European Commission in March 2019. According to Spotify, the pain point was mainly the 30 percent commission that Apple charges for subscriptions that are taken out within iOS apps. The recent battle between Fortnite maker Epic and Apple also revolves around that point.
Apple has responded to Spotify’s complaint with a brief statement, stating that customers are free to use alternatives to Apple’s services. “We’re introducing Apple One because it provides great value for customers and provides an easy way to access Apple’s full range of subscription services.”
Spotify undisputed market leader
According to Apple, its new service is “perfect for anyone who loves Apple’s services and wants to get more for less, especially families.” Apple emphasizes that users can cancel Apple One at any time.
Spotify is the most popular music service in the world with 299 million users. The Swedish company has 138 million paying subscribers. Apple has around 70 million paying users, which means it follows Spotify at a great distance. Competitors like Deezer and Napster barely gain a foothold.
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