• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it

2

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

3

China’s birth rate just hit its lowest point since 1949—and Trip.com cofounder James Liang thinks that’s a threat to innovation

1

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it

2

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

3

China’s birth rate just hit its lowest point since 1949—and Trip.com cofounder James Liang thinks that’s a threat to innovation
TechAntitrust
Europe

Spotify lays into Apple’s ‘outrageous’ plan to charge some app developers 27% commission: ‘They will stop at nothing to protect the profits they exact’

Ryan Hogg
By
Ryan Hogg
Ryan Hogg
Europe News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Ryan Hogg
By
Ryan Hogg
Ryan Hogg
Europe News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 19, 2024, 6:44 AM ET
Spotify wants Apple to remove the 30% commission the company when a customer buys a subscription through the App Store.
Spotify wants Apple to remove the 30% commission the company when a customer buys a subscription through the App Store.Jaap Arriens—NurPhoto/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Spotify has launched a fresh attack on Apple as part of the pair’s long-standing battle over Apple’s App Store rules and fees, calling new charges on purchases made outside the App Store “outrageous.”

Apple announced Wednesday it would permit users in the U.S. to make purchases outside its App Store, provided major app developers pay a 27% commission.

The changes come after the tech group faced a legal challenge from Fortnite maker Epic Games as part of a battle over fees spanning back to 2010. 

While the judge sided with Apple on most counts, they ruled the company was in violation of a competition law by failing to tell users about ways to make purchases outside the App Store.

Under the change, developers can now redirect customers to bypass the App Store payment system by using things like external links.

Apple is now chasing Epic Games for $73.5 million to cover losses and legal costs following its win, according to a Tuesday filing.

While the biggest app developers, including Spotify, will face a 27% fee on purchases made away from the store, sales from smaller developers and the auto-renewal of subscriptions will face a 12% charge. 

In a vitriolic statement, Spotify argued the latest charge “flies in the face” of attempts by the U.S. to introduce more competition to the tech sector.

A representative for Apple didn’t immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment.

Apple’s fees back in spotlight

Major developers selling digital goods and services on Apple’s App Store pay the group a 30% commission fee on apps and in-app purchases, including subscriptions. 

However, small developers pay about a 15% commission, while 85% of developers pay no fees at all.

“All App Store developers—including those who place buttons or links with calls to action in their apps — benefit from Apple’s proprietary technology and tools protected by intellectual property, and access to its user base,” Apple said as it disclosed the changes in a court filing.

The new fee for external purchases, though, has sparked Spotify’s latest missive against Apple, extending a long-running tussle with the group over what the streaming platform views as anti-competitive charges.

“Once again, Apple has demonstrated that they will stop at nothing to protect the profits they exact on the backs of developers and consumers under their app store monopoly,” a representative for the group told Fortune in a statement.

“Their latest move in the U.S.—imposing a 27% fee for transactions made outside of an app on a developer’s website—is outrageous and flies in the face of the court’s efforts to enable greater competition and user choice.”

Spotify called for the U.K. government to step in to prevent similar fees passing in the country. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill, which would impose tough new rules on major tech players, is currently passing through the country’s houses of parliament. 

Spotify’s fight with Apple 

Spotify and the group’s CEO Daniel Ek have repeatadly lamented Apple’s charges, which fall on any subscriptions to the streaming platform made through the app store.

The group views the charges as giving Apple a leg-up with its own music streaming offering, Apple Music, which is less popular than Spotify.

In an October op-ed for the Daily Mail, Ek said the charge, which Google’s app store also levies, hobbled competition and allowed the groups monopolistic control in the tech sector.  

Ek argued that he wouldn’t have been to create his $40 billion streaming platform if he had come up with the idea today, owing to those fees. 

“Today, Apple and Google are not just players, they are the rule-makers and gatekeepers of the mobile internet, controlling how more than 5 billion global consumers interact online,” Ek wrote.

The European Commission launched an antitrust investigation into Apple in 2020 after Spotify made complaints about the 30% fee it pays the company.

In February, the EU narrowed its this investigation to exclude Spotify’s request to remove the charge from the sale of digital goods and services.

“The App Store has helped Spotify become the top music streaming service across Europe, and we hope the European Commission will end its pursuit of a complaint that has no merit,” a representative for Apple previously told Fortune in a statement.

About the Author
Ryan Hogg
By Ryan HoggEurope News Reporter

Ryan Hogg was a Europe business reporter at Fortune.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Palmer Luckey wearing a lime green shirt with his hands up gesturing
SuccessEducation
Anduril founder Palmer Luckey warns the U.S. university system is falling behind China’s: ‘It generates a lot of worker bees’
By Preston ForeJuly 8, 2026
2 hours ago
Rilla CEO Sebastian Jimenez
Successreturn to office
This CEO pays $1.7 million a year so employees can live in one of America’s most expensive neighborhoods
By Emma BurleighJuly 8, 2026
2 hours ago
Chinese companies are ditching Nvidia’s advanced accelerators for domestic AI suppliers
AsiaNvidia
Chinese companies are ditching Nvidia’s advanced accelerators for domestic AI suppliers
By Bloomberg and Gao YuanJuly 8, 2026
3 hours ago
Current price of Ethereum for July 8, 2026
Personal FinanceEthereum
Current price of Ethereum for July 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 8, 2026
4 hours ago
Jeremy Grantham, co-founder and chief investment strategist of GMO LLC, during an interview on an episode of Bloomberg Wealth with David Rubenstein in Boston, Massachusetts, US, on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023.
InvestingSpaceX
Famed investor Jeremy Grantham says history will end up laughing at SpaceX, the ‘craziest IPO in the history of man’ that just joined the Nasdaq 100
By Eleanor PringleJuly 8, 2026
5 hours ago
Meta chief AI officer Alexandr Wang
NewslettersTerm Sheet
The 38-point framework two VCs use to spot the next unicorn founder
By Allie GarfinkleJuly 8, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
Success
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
By Preston ForeJuly 6, 2026
2 days ago
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
AI
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 5, 2026
3 days ago
China’s birth rate just hit its lowest point since 1949—and Trip.com cofounder James Liang thinks that’s a threat to innovation
Asia
China’s birth rate just hit its lowest point since 1949—and Trip.com cofounder James Liang thinks that’s a threat to innovation
By Nicholas GordonJuly 7, 2026
1 day ago
Iran strikes 85 U.S. military sites in the Gulf, sparking a global selloff in stocks and a spike in the price of oil
Newsletters
Iran strikes 85 U.S. military sites in the Gulf, sparking a global selloff in stocks and a spike in the price of oil
By Jim EdwardsJuly 8, 2026
7 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 7, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 7, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 7, 2026
1 day ago
Presidents aren't supposed to pick winners, former White House ethics lawyer says. Trump keeps choosing Dell
Politics
Presidents aren't supposed to pick winners, former White House ethics lawyer says. Trump keeps choosing Dell
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 7, 2026
21 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our and Privacy Policy |  | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.