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Apple Looking to Increase Exposure for Free App Store and iBookstore Content?

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MacRumors

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Late last month, Apple launched a new "Free App of the Week" promotion on the App Store, featuring a single app on each of the iPhone and iPad platforms and offering the normally-paid titles for free. Apple's digital content stores have of course offered free apps for years, but the new promotion seeks to bring greater visibility to content being temporarily discounted from paid to free.

great_free_apps_banner.jpg



In another sign that Apple may be looking to increase exposure for free content, the company earlier this week registered two new domains: freeonappstore.com and freeonibookstore.com. There is currently no content located at either of the sites, but it seems that Apple may be interested in either creating specific websites featuring free content or using them as redirects to point to existing features.

freeonappstore_com_whois.png



The two domains were registered the day after Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, but they do not appear to have any direct relationship to announcements made during the event. Consequently, Apple's intentions for the domains remains unknown.

Outside of the digital stores themselves, Apple has a number of other venues for promoting free and discounted content, including a partnership with Starbucks for free "Pick of the Week" offerings such as apps and book samples. The current Free App of the Week promotion also began as a Facebook promotion on Apple's App Store page, but has since migrated directly into the App Store.

Article Link: Apple Looking to Increase Exposure for Free App Store and iBookstore Content?
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/06/15/apple-looking-to-increase-exposure-for-free-app-store-and-ibookstore-content/
nagromme

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
1,196
According to my research via mammals.org, Apple just grabbed these names for the sake of “having them.” Not a sign of any real plans.

And I think they’d rather promote stuff through iTunes and the devices themselves! Otherwise they’d at least put a more complete web front end on the entire store. Going to a page with just some free items and no way to search/browse beyond that would not be pleasant nor Apple-like. Plus Apple prefers apple.com pages for all but the very biggest projects (iCloud).
 
Z

Z400Racer37

macrumors 6502a
Feb 7, 2011
711
1,664
They should have free trials that last for 10 full hours of usage. there is no way I would download a $10 or $20 app without trying it out first... They would sell a lot more paid apps ( to me at least:)).
 
Moonjumper

Moonjumper

macrumors 68030
Jun 20, 2009
2,740
2,908
Lincoln, UK
Promoting paid apps that are temporarily free helps devalue the paid apps. Such promotions are a large part of the reason for the move towards freemium and ad-supported models.

I would rather Apple promotes normally free games, and choses games that have quality, but are unknown, rather than games that are already successful.

A problem for developers is that the downloads are concentrated onto a few massive hits, while other great apps go unnoticed. Apple promotions should be widening the circle of success, not narrowing it.
 
M

Molto Bene

macrumors newbie
Feb 9, 2011
3
0
How much do the developers make?

Does anyone know what fraction of the original price (0-100%) apple pays the developers for the downloaded free copies?
 
J

jkeating2005

macrumors regular
Mar 27, 2009
112
4
Moonjumper said:
Promoting paid apps that are temporarily free helps devalue the paid apps. Such promotions are a large part of the reason for the move towards freemium and ad-supported models.

I would rather Apple promotes normally free games, and choses games that have quality, but are unknown, rather than games that are already successful.

A problem for developers is that the downloads are concentrated onto a few massive hits, while other great apps go unnoticed. Apple promotions should be widening the circle of success, not narrowing it.
Click to expand...


This x100000000
 
Moonjumper

Moonjumper

macrumors 68030
Jun 20, 2009
2,740
2,908
Lincoln, UK
ChrisH3677 said:
Hope they limit it to truly free aps. i.e. no freemiums. Nothing more annoying than seeing a "free" app only to discover it's freemium.
Click to expand...

Freemium is applied in many different ways, not all bad. I have played Jetpack Joyride for many hours, yet never felt pressurised to use in-app purchases. While some others are in your face as soon as you launch the app and have little value before paying out.

Freemium is not inherently bad, but it is applied badly far too often, giving it a bad name. Don't write off the potential because of some applications of it.

----------
Molto Bene said:
Does anyone know what fraction of the original price (0-100%) apple pays the developers for the downloaded free copies?
Click to expand...

Considering the developers have to pay to be on some other free app promotions (I know, it sounds daft to pay to give stuff way for free), I suspect Apple won't have to pay anything.
 
Piggie

Piggie

macrumors G3
Feb 23, 2010
9,117
4,016
I would like to add that I also hate with a passion Freemium apps.

Never heard that term before I like it.

There should be 3 types of apps.

1: Paid for apps
2: Free apps that only give you say a few levels/and or require payment to advance or do much with the product
3: Free apps

Jeez, we are even getting full paid for apps now that try and get you to buy things in-game.
It's a nasty trend that's growing and I've never experienced it before I bought an iPad.
 
B

benwiggy

macrumors 68020
Jun 15, 2012
2,382
199
I can't understand how anyone would want to put free content onto Apple's Stores.
It's $99 per year for the Developer Programme, and if you're overseas, you have to get all sorts of validation from the US IRS -- this includes notarised proof of identity.
I've estimated that it will probably cost me around £600 (c. $1000) before I can even spend my time creating ibooks/music/apps.

How anyone is prepared to give it away, I have no idea.
 
A

alent1234

macrumors 603
Jun 19, 2009
5,688
170
benwiggy said:
I can't understand how anyone would want to put free content onto Apple's Stores.
It's $99 per year for the Developer Programme, and if you're overseas, you have to get all sorts of validation from the US IRS -- this includes notarised proof of identity.
I've estimated that it will probably cost me around £600 (c. $1000) before I can even spend my time creating ibooks/music/apps.

How anyone is prepared to give it away, I have no idea.
Click to expand...

people do it on amazon all the time

if you have multiple stories up for sale you make one of them free in the hopes of generating sales for the others. it works, and it generates sales of the free content long after the sale expires
 
jonnysods

jonnysods

macrumors G3
Sep 20, 2006
8,427
6,892
There & Back Again
Free apps are great. Every week when the app store gets their products shifted around the main splash pages me and my 6 year old dive in and try to find new free games. It's a lot of fun!
 
thermodynamic

thermodynamic

Suspended
May 3, 2009
1,341
1,192
USA
Moonjumper said:
Promoting paid apps that are temporarily free helps devalue the paid apps. Such promotions are a large part of the reason for the move towards freemium and ad-supported models.

I would rather Apple promotes normally free games, and choses games that have quality, but are unknown, rather than games that are already successful.

A problem for developers is that the downloads are concentrated onto a few massive hits, while other great apps go unnoticed. Apple promotions should be widening the circle of success, not narrowing it.
Click to expand...

Agreed, especially your last paragraph. Apple hypes up everything else about its store, so why it wants to narrow the circle of success...

And it's nice to read a post from people who understand the consequences of economics. At least economics as pertinent to those who do the work to create the product for someone else to devalue and exploit.

Ad-supported models will go the way of the dino as well - at least in the way we recognize them as being. One needn't see an ad to understand how one's information is being sold, I suppose... but I'm not a marketer.
 
S

Surfmavs

macrumors newbie
Jun 28, 2007
16
2
Merida Yucatan Mexico
Why publish free apps?

>>I can't understand how anyone would want to put free content onto Apple's Stores. It's $99 per year for the Developer Programme, and if you're overseas, you have to get all sorts of validation from the US IRS -- this includes notarised proof of identity.
I've estimated that it will probably cost me around £600 (c. $1000) before I can even spend my time creating ibooks/music/apps.
How anyone is prepared to give it away, I have no idea.<<

I have paid a developer to create an app, i also have spent time, effort and money for generating the content, but then, that money wasn't mine, i got a funded project to create educational content and that is why i'm giving my app for free...
my developer had to invest in HIS enterprise, and now even if he is developing a free app he's earning good money writing it.
 
Last edited:
M

mikeo007

macrumors 65816
Mar 18, 2010
1,373
122
I would love to publish some free content to the App Store, but unfortunately it's not free for developers. I'd like to see Apple offer a free dev program where you could publish Apps, but could not charge for them.
 
P

petsounds

macrumors 65816
Jun 30, 2007
1,493
519
benwiggy said:
I can't understand how anyone would want to put free content onto Apple's Stores.
Click to expand...

There are plenty of "free" apps which are ad-supported. Some "free" apps that have no ads are backed by a lot of venture capital, and are only hoping to get bought out. These apps aren't really free, as you are trading your privacy for the service. Most social media apps fall into this category. Then there's the aforementioned 'freemium' apps which are more like demos, but they can't call them that due to Apple's rules.
 
E

earthsaver

macrumors newbie
Aug 25, 2003
22
10
What about music?

This is particularly interesting since Apple has removed the Free on iTunes section (or at least any link to it) from the Music Store.
 
Piggie

Piggie

macrumors G3
Feb 23, 2010
9,117
4,016
I and I know many other customers would like to see a trial period, even just 60 mins would do.
There are many note apps, drawing apps etc and you can't just go buying then all to find which one you like.

Android gives customers this function so why can't we have it for the apple app store also.

1 hour should be enough
 
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