Tag: promotions

Following Landmark Court Ruling, Spotify Submits New App Update to Apple to Benefit U.S. Consumers

May 1, 2025

Updated May 2: In a victory for consumers, artists, creators, and authors, Apple has approved Spotify’s U.S. app update. After nearly a decade, this will finally allow us to freely show clear pricing information and links to purchase, fostering transparency and choice for U.S. consumers. We can now give consumers lower prices, more control, and easier access to the Spotify experience. There is more work to do, but today represents a significant milestone for developers and entrepreneurs everywhere who want to build and compete on a more level playing field. It’s the opening act of a new era, and we could not be more ready for the show.

On April 30, a U.S. federal judge ordered Apple to stop its illegal behavior and loosen its iron grip on its App Store, finding that the company was in “willful violation” of a 2021 injunction. This means that Apple will now have to stop restricting developers’ ability to communicate with their customers free of charge. While other governments around the world have taken steps against Apple’s harmful practices, this is, by far, the most consequential action to date—and it delivers the benefits that all consumers deserve around the world.

This is a great day for Spotify users in the U.S. We have just submitted a Spotify app update to Apple, which includes certain features we can now bring to our American users. Once Apple approves our update, U.S. consumers:

  • Can finally see how much something costs in our app, including pricing details on subscriptions and information about promotions that will save money; 
  • Can click a link to purchase the subscription of choice, upgrading from a Free account to one of our Premium plans;
  • Can seamlessly click the link and easily change Premium subscriptions from Individual to a Student, Duo, or Family plan; 
  • Can use other payment options beyond just  Apple’s payment system—we provide a wider range of options on our website; and 
  • Going forward, this opens the door to other seamless buying opportunities that will directly benefit creators (think easy-to-purchase audiobooks) 

If all of this seems obvious and user-friendly, you’re right, and we agree—these are the kinds of improvements that any app should offer its users. The fact that we haven’t been able to deliver these basic services, which were permitted by the judge’s order four years ago, is absurd. The ruling made it clear that Apple deliberately abused its market power to intentionally harm others and benefit only itself. But thanks to this important ruling in the case between Apple and Epic Games yesterday, this should change “effective immediately”—those are the judge’s words. 

Spotify has always believed that the internet should be a fair and open ecosystem. It’s absolutely necessary to fuel growth, innovation, and creator discovery. This groundbreaking decision could unlock real opportunities for creators building their businesses and sharing their art with fans through Spotify. For example, these changes should soon allow publishers to sell their audiobooks through Spotify’s platform seamlessly. 

Meaningful parts of Apple’s anticompetitive barriers have been removed, and it’s long overdue—this should be table stakes for doing business not only in the U.S., but in every corner of the world. 

Visit Time To Play Fair to learn more.

The DMA Means a Better Spotify for Artists, Creators, and You

January 24, 2024

What’s one of the top complaints about Spotify? It’s actually something that until now has been outside of our control: the ability to seamlessly subscribe to and buy things through Spotify on your iPhone. Consumers have asked us for years about the dead ends, lack of information, and endless hoops to jump through just to purchase a subscription or audiobook. But beginning March 7, if you live in the European Union, that will change. With the Digital Markets Act (DMA) rolling out, your Spotify is about to become a whole lot better, and that means more opportunities for developers and creators everywhere. 

For years, even in our own app, Apple had these rules where we couldn’t tell you about offers, how much something costs, or even where or how to buy it. We know, pretty nuts. The DMA means that we’ll finally be able to share details about deals, promotions, and better-value payment options in the EU. And an easier experience for you means good things for artists, authors, and creators looking to build their audiences of listeners, concert-goers, and audiobook-loving fans. What’s more? All of this can now come without the burden of a mandatory ~30% tax imposed by Apple, which is prohibited under the DMA. 

For Spotify, this unleashes huge opportunities, so here’s what you can expect us to roll out starting in March:

Direct communications in the Spotify app about subscription offerings, upgrades, product prices, deals, and promotions

We’ll soon be able to give you information in the Spotify app about prices for things like Premium subscriptions and audiobooks.

And we will be able to communicate clearly with you in the Spotify app about new products for sale, promotional campaigns, superfan clubs, and upcoming events, including when items like audiobooks are going on sale.

Seamless and secure in-app payment 

Soon we expect that if you want to buy a Premium subscription or an audiobook, or are looking to seamlessly upgrade from Individual to a Duo or Family plan to save money, you will be able to do so with just a couple of easy clicks.

Right now you can’t upgrade from Free to Premium in the app, and we’re not even allowed to tell you about how much our various subscriptions cost, how you can save money, or where to purchase them. That doesn’t make sense. For everyone living in the EU, this is about to change.

Purchasing an audiobook directly

You will have choices. In the growing list of markets where we offer audiobooks, for the first time you will be able to see the price of an audiobook when browsing, easily buy it, and quickly start listening. 

Downloading other Spotify apps onto your iPhone

Thanks to the DMA we’re looking forward to a future of superfan clubs, alternative app stores, and giving creators the ability to safely download Spotify for Artists or Spotify for Podcasters directly from our site—and that’s just the start. 

The fight continues

It should be this easy for every single Spotify customer everywhere. But if you live outside certain markets, you will continue to encounter frustrating roadblocks because of Apple’s ridiculous rules.

That’s why developers everywhere are continuing to ask other governments to pass their own laws like the DMA. Like Spotify, they want to provide the best user experience for their customers. We’ll keep fighting because freedom from gatekeepers means more choice for consumers and positive impact for artists, authors, creators and developers everywhere.