Apple has set itself against the charge of the music service Spotify, to defend, to demand of the customers of the streaming service, excessive fees.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek have guardians in its complaint to the competition of the European Union with false Numbers acts, stated in an opinion of the iPhone group to the EU Commission. About the process, the “Handelsblatt had first” and “Spiegel Online” reported.
Spotify had submitted in March official complaint with the EU Commission. The music streaming market leader argued, among other things, he was at a disadvantage because he has to deliver for the subscription accounts within the iPhone App, as 30 percent of the proceeds to Apple. The platform operator could keep the own streaming service, Apple Music, however, the entire amount. Individual users currently pay around 10 euros a month for access to Spotify or Apple Music.
In the Letter to the EU Commission, said Apple, Spotify gave the impression that the charges in the amount of 30 percent for all users of Apple devices, would be payable. There are only 680,000 to users. The Commission of 30 percent is only for those Spotify customer is collected, which would have changed your account via the In-App Purchase in the Apple App Store from the Free Version to a Premium subscription.
This function is only from 2014 to 2016 in the Spotify-App is active and in this time only 680.000 customers have made use of it. For all other account conversions to the Paid subscription before and after Apple took to its own information, not a Cent.
in addition, ask Apple for subscriptions, which will be completed on your own Store, not permanently 30%: After one year of membership, the Commission drops to 15 percent. Since the 680.000 Spotify Users have completed their subscriptions before three to five years, you will need Spotify to pay for you to Apple information, therefore, only 15 per cent.
Spotify claims to have over 100 million paying customers. The end of the year the service is expected to 127 million subscription customers, and 265 million active users in total.
Apple argued in the Letter to the EU Commission, you have position with a market share in Smartphones in Europe by a good 20 percent does not have a dominant. The own service, Apple’s Music had, moreover, only half as many paying customers as the market leader Spotify.
Google’s music streaming service Youtube Music requires a subscription from Apple a price premium. Who wants to book via the iOS App, get a monthly price of 12,99 Euro displayed. In the Android App, the monthly fee is EUR 9.99.
dpa
