Apple responds to Spotify’s complaints

Spotify has been competing with iTunes since its inception. While it still relies on Apple devices and app stores to bring its services to people around the world, it recently filed a complaint with the European Commission against Apple. It cited that the iPhone giant has “introduced rules to the App Store that purposely limit choice and stifle innovation at the expense of the user experience—essentially acting as both a player and referee to deliberately disadvantage other app developers.”

Two days after this announcement, Apple issued its response in a 1,100+ word statement, tackling various points, from app store updates, pricing and its music platform, to Spotify’s subscription revenues and its success in part due to being listed on the App Store.

Apple wrote, “Spotify’s aim is to make more money off others’ work. And it’s not just the App Store that they’re trying to squeeze — it’s also artists, musicians and songwriters. This isn’t just wrong, it represents a real, meaningful and damaging step backwards for the music industry.”

While Apple is one of the world’s biggest and most profitable company, Spotify is the world’s biggest music streaming company, and yet, it is still scrambling to establish and prove its long-term financial viability. The matter remains with the European Commission, who has dealt with similar cases before, and indicated a clear way forward. We look forward to its decision. Read more about the Apple-Spotify issue and Apple’s response to Spotify’s suit here.