The other day we told you how Spotify had taken their complaints to the next level, taking them to the European Commission with a campaign called “Time to Play Fair”.
Complaints from Spotify, which we can understand more or less how reasonable, have received a direct response from Apple with an official statement.
"Addressing Spotify's claims" is the statement from Apple that you can read in full here and that gives the company's point of view to justify the facts that Spotify claims.
Apple claims that Spotify wants to enjoy all the benefits of a free app without paying. That is because Apple, as reaffirmed in its statement, does not charge anything to free apps, which are supported by advertising or that offer physical products and services, not digital. While those digital services and digital products must pay 30% to Apple. Moment in which Apple remembers, since Spotify did not say so, that in subscriptions it is reduced to 15% from the first year.
Apple also attacks Spotify personally, saying that most of its users are users who do not pay Apple, since they use Spotify Free. Just as many other users come to Spotify thanks to agreements and contracts with operators, so the part of Spotify users who pay Apple is very small. And according to Apple, Spotify wants it to be zero, despite all the services Apple offers.
Apple adds that it is she who connects users with Spotify and states that Spotify wouldn't be the business it is today if it weren't for the App Store. In addition, Apple provides the platform from which copies of Spotify have been downloaded more than 300 million times.
On the other hand, Apple denies having treated Spotify differently and reaffirms that it has the same treatment as other apps, the same development utilities for both iOS, such as watchOS, and CarPlay, as well as the possibility of making use of Siri and AirPlay 2. They have even offered to help Spotify with support in this regard.
Of course, everyone has their point of view and their right and wrong opinions, but Having not reached any agreement between the two companies, it is time to see what is left after the Spotify lawsuit.
As a former Spotify premium user and current Apple Music user, the only thing I can say is that, for me, if you use iPhone Apple Music is much better and better integrated than Spotify, not only because of the better performance on both iPhone and iPhone. on Apple Watch, since from the Airpods or from the Apple watch I control Apple Music with total freedom, which I could not do with Spotify, but in the car that, as soon as it connects via bluetooth with the iPhone, the music is activated without having I touch anything on the phone and I even get Apple Music folders and songs on the screen. With Spotify, I had to take my mobile and open the app to be able to listen to the music in the car and, never, have the songs come out on the car screen.
Personally I like Spotify much more but of course the problem I have is that the Apple Watch I cannot use it with the Air pords if I do not carry the mobile with me and I think that Apple is preventing this aspect from Spotify and with Apple Music if it is You can take your Apple Watch with Lte without having to carry your mobile.