Spotify Legal Chief: 'Apple's Ability to Strangle its Competitors is Unprecedented'

[stevec618]

Until Spotify start to pay artists fairly, they should probably wind their necks in.

 

[jmgregory1]

Yeah I feel like the compromise to all this will be making Apple allow third party companies to place a statement on how To sign up for the service outside the app. I’m sure it will be a very limited and specific statement but hey consumers deserve the choice to save money.
a Few years back I signed up for YouTube premium through the app and was somewhat upset when I found out I was paying a few bucks extra than everyone else. Had I known I should’ve used the website I would have to save money.

I’m not a Spotify customer, so I really don’t have a dog in the fight, but I find it interesting that they can actually get around paying Apple anything for access to Apple’s customers, simply by marketing to consumers to sign up for Spotify online, on their own website, then have consumers log into the app on the device. Then Apple gets zero cut, which kind of seems like that’s unfair to Apple. It’s not like this is some hardship for consumers - I did exactly this with Amazon, as I was buying products on Amazon through their website before there was an app to download in the first place. Did it with Prime Video, Netflix too. So there is a way to get around either charging consumers more to cover Apple’s commission or taking a hit to profit by not charging consumers more.

It really seems like a lot of companies want the benefit of access to Apple’s customer base, but they’re unwilling to pay for it, suggesting that Apple has an unfair advantage. But Apple themselves has and continues to pay for their own apps in the ongoing development of both hardware and software, back-end systems, people, marketing, etc.

 

[Breaking Good]

Again, should Best Buy allow free items to exist on their shelves, advertised by them, traffic created by them, etc. with a label on the item that says pay for activation at www.websitex.com?

BestBuy has a store. You can choose to go to the store, or not go to the store. Not going to BestBuy's store has no effect on any other store you choose to go to.

Yet Apple says its our store or no store. Now normally I would say this is no different than buying a console game. Microsoft isn't going to let you use Sony Playstation games on its Xbox. But there is a catch here. You access Apple's store through the airwaves. And the people, through their elected representative, have decided that the airwaves are owned by the people. So since the airwaves are owned by the people, the people, through their elected representatives are free to set conditions on their use.

So where Apple is free to say my house (iPhone), my rules. The FCC is free to say my house (the airwaves), my rules.

If Apple doesn't like it, then they are free to design a device that doesn't use the airwaves.

 

[Rogifan]

Spotify should pay artists better.

How well would Apple be paying artists if they weren’t able to subsidize Apple Music via hardware sales?

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Spotify - whining instead of innovating... if you’d provide some differentiated value to Apple Music that would justify higher price people would do pay it. You don’t so it’s back to kindergarten whining

Two things; Apple Music took huge inspiration from the innovation and popularity of Spotify to become the product we see now. Secondly, outside of North America where Apple Music is most popular, Spotify is still the most used music streaming service. People are paying more for it right now, but who knows how things change?

The silver lining here being at least we aren’t using iTunes anymore.

 

[RavynArcadia]

Aww, spotify got mad that apple is doing better? Maybe work on improving your service and paying artists more than the bare minimum. Also blame amazon too, they gave lossless at no additional cost.

 

[DamjanMu]

This has been a problem for a very long time.

Why is this a problem?

 

[nvmls]

Well for a company which "strangles" competition, they seem to attract tons of it.

 

[WiseAJ]

I'm tired of all this whining from Spotify/Tile. Stop complaining and actually work to differentiate yourself from Apple and entice people to use your products instead of relying on Apple to hand you everything on a silver platter for free.

 

[DamjanMu]

It is very simple for Spotify… develop your phone, create your own App Store and sell by your own conditions. Simple as it is. Someone had to believe and invest for a long time to give you platform to sell your stuff. Now you would like to use it for free?

 

[darngooddesign]

BestBuy has a store. You can choose to go to the store, or not go to the store. Not going to BestBuy's store has no effect on any other store you choose to go to.

Yet Apple says its our store or no store. Now normally I would say this is no different than buying a console game. Microsoft isn't going to let you use Sony Playstation games on its Xbox. But there is a catch here. You access Apple's store through the airwaves. And the people, through their elected representative, have decided that the airwaves are owned by the people. So since the airwaves are owned by the people, the people, through their elected representatives are free to set conditions on their use.

So where Apple is free to say my house (iPhone), my rules. The FCC is free to say my house (the airwaves), my rules.

If Apple doesn't like it, then they are free to design a device that doesn't use the airwaves.

Cant you download the app for free and subscribe on Spotify's website?

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

It is very simple for Spotify… develop your phone, create your own App Store and sell by your own conditions. Simple as it is. Someone had to believe and invest for a long time to give you platform to sell your stuff. Now you would like to use it for free?

Why would they waste money developing a phone which isn’t even in line with their business model? There’s some wild suggestions in this thread I have to say lol.

 

[trip1ex]

Spotify has a much stronger case than Epic.

Even then Spotify seems to have done well despite subscriptions being only available via the internet or other platforms.

But surely the way Apple has integrated Music into the iPHone and promoted it along with the lack of fees to pay thru the app store is problematic. it feels a lot like Netscape vs MS Windows & IE.

 

[fontman]

He just a winer

 

[trip1ex]

Yes actually - a massive investment of money and time.

If every company wishing to offer a software product that competed with Apple’s software had to first build their own phone, we wouldn’t have very much software.

but we'd have a lot of phones.

 

[cupcakes2000]

Those supposed billions that you talk about came from you and I spending our money on iPhones. There is a monopoly and the US Government has stated so already. It's a question of what remedies are going to be put in place.

Has the US gov stated that Apple has a monopoly? I feel like I would probably heard of this if it’s the case. Do you have a link?

BestBuy has a store. You can choose to go to the store, or not go to the store. Not going to BestBuy's store has no effect on any other store you choose to go to.

Yet Apple says its our store or no store. Now normally I would say this is no different than buying a console game. Microsoft isn't going to let you use Sony Playstation games on its Xbox. But there is a catch here. You access Apple's store through the airwaves. And the people, through their elected representative, have decided that the airwaves are owned by the people. So since the airwaves are owned by the people, the people, through their elected representatives are free to set conditions on their use.

So where Apple is free to say my house (iPhone), my rules. The FCC is free to say my house (the airwaves), my rules.

If Apple doesn't like it, then they are free to design a device that doesn't use the airwaves.

What?

 

[crazy dave]

BestBuy has a store. You can choose to go to the store, or not go to the store. Not going to BestBuy's store has no effect on any other store you choose to go to.

Yet Apple says its our store or no store. Now normally I would say this is no different than buying a console game. Microsoft isn't going to let you use Sony Playstation games on its Xbox. But there is a catch here. You access Apple's store through the airwaves. And the people, through their elected representative, have decided that the airwaves are owned by the people. So since the airwaves are owned by the people, the people, through their elected representatives are free to set conditions on their use.

So where Apple is free to say my house (iPhone), my rules. The FCC is free to say my house (the airwaves), my rules.

If Apple doesn't like it, then they are free to design a device that doesn't use the airwaves.

Uhhh no that's not how it works at all. Yes the FCC licenses spectrum out and can regulate it usage, but no they can't determine something like this. Plus you know WiFi is a thing ...

 

[DamjanMu]

Again, should Best Buy allow free items to exist on their shelves, advertised by them, traffic created by them, etc. with a label on the item that says pay for activation at www.websitex.com?

Even if its not free, if the item has a price tag of $19.99 but a sticker on it says "or pay for me at www.websitex.com and pay only $14.99" no retailer on the planet would allow that.

Very good point

 

[TheRealNick]

Again, should Best Buy allow free items to exist on their shelves, advertised by them, traffic created by them, etc. with a label on the item that says pay for activation at www.websitex.com?

Even if its not free, if the item has a price tag of $19.99 but a sticker on it says "or pay for me at www.websitex.com and pay only $14.99" no retailer on the planet would allow that.

Right. But a consumer didn't buy a Best Buy store like a they bought an iPhone.

 

[Joe The Dragon]

Again, should Best Buy allow free items to exist on their shelves, advertised by them, traffic created by them, etc. with a label on the item that says pay for activation at www.websitex.com?

Even if its not free, if the item has a price tag of $19.99 but a sticker on it says "or pay for me at www.websitex.com and pay only $14.99" no retailer on the planet would allow that.

best buy does not take 30% of wow subs
best buy does not take 30% of pay tv subs
best buy does not take 30% of you internet cost
best buy does not take 30% of your cell phone plan
best buy does not take 30% of your xm sub
best buy does not take 30% of your grocery store bill

 

[DamjanMu]

BestBuy has a store. You can choose to go to the store, or not go to the store. Not going to BestBuy's store has no effect on any other store you choose to go to.

Yet Apple says its our store or no store. Now normally I would say this is no different than buying a console game. Microsoft isn't going to let you use Sony Playstation games on its Xbox. But there is a catch here. You access Apple's store through the airwaves. And the people, through their elected representative, have decided that the airwaves are owned by the people. So since the airwaves are owned by the people, the people, through their elected representatives are free to set conditions on their use.

So where Apple is free to say my house (iPhone), my rules. The FCC is free to say my house (the airwaves), my rules.

If Apple doesn't like it, then they are free to design a device that doesn't use the airwaves.

You have mixed everything… use Android and use different store. You don’t set the rules in BestBuy if you own the roads that are leading to the store!!!

 

[B-Mc-C]

Exactly this. Even if they aren't actual links for security purposes, Apple should include a mechanism that allows companies to alert users about the potential to sign up on their website. Apple could even include "benefits of signing up through the App Store include Apple payment processing," etc.

But they asked for trouble by completely preventing the acknowledgement of outside payment options.

I love Apple and I'm very comfortable in the walled garden, but forcing direct competitors to take a 30% hit is exactly why they're in hot water right now. I have a feeling that if it were Microsoft or Google doing this, people would be a lot more pissed off. It's disheartening to see so many say "well Spotify can build their own phone!" Completely anti-consumer. THERE IS NO OTHER STORE TO GO TO ON IOS IF THEY DON'T LIKE APPLES T&C. That's the entire point.

Except Microsoft and Google do exactly the same thing. Apple just has the deepest pockets so let’s all go after them first, right?

Yes there is a store other than Apple’s – as the article states, Spotify requires all users to sign up directly with them, and despite this, Apple still graciously allows Spotify to use the App Store for free hosting, etc.

As many have pointed out here, you don’t see Best Buy offering to stock and advertise products in their store with a sign on them saying the same product can be purchased at a lower price elsewhere. Lunacy to expect that of Apple. You should be outraged with all retailers.

 

[MauiPa]

We need an anti-trust investigation of Spotify to figure out why they don't pay their artists a reasonable amount. Being the largest and having so much market power, they just walk all over the little guys (artists)

 

[edgonzalez32]

Why is this a problem?

You tell me man. You tell me.

 

[Cubsfan]

BestBuy has a store. You can choose to go to the store, or not go to the store. Not going to BestBuy's store has no effect on any other store you choose to go to.

Yet Apple says its our store or no store. Now normally I would say this is no different than buying a console game. Microsoft isn't going to let you use Sony Playstation games on its Xbox. But there is a catch here. You access Apple's store through the airwaves. And the people, through their elected representative, have decided that the airwaves are owned by the people. So since the airwaves are owned by the people, the people, through their elected representatives are free to set conditions on their use.

So where Apple is free to say my house (iPhone), my rules. The FCC is free to say my house (the airwaves), my rules.

If Apple doesn't like it, then they are free to design a device that doesn't use the airwaves.

This argument doesn't make sense. What about the folks playing PS5 through StarLink?