Move Comes After EU Fine and Will Enable Apps to Bypass App Store Restrictions

Apple has announced a significant change for music streaming apps in the European Economic Area, granting them the ability to link directly to their own websites for digital content purchases. This new move, revealed on Friday, April 5, aims to comply with a European Union mandate, following a ruling that criticized Apple’s restrictive practices on its App Store.

The policy shift comes just weeks after the EU imposed a hefty fine of 1.84 billion euros (S$2.69 billion) on Apple, accusing the tech giant of hindering competition by preventing rival music streaming services from offering alternative payment methods. The European Commission had ruled that Apple’s App Store policies created unfair conditions for streaming services, particularly after a 2019 complaint filed by Spotify, one of Apple’s main competitors.

In a bid to resolve the issue, Apple announced that it would allow music streaming app developers to ask users for their email addresses. This would enable the developers to send links to their websites, where users can purchase music or subscriptions directly, bypassing the App Store’s payment system. The move is expected to provide more flexibility to streaming services, including Spotify, which currently holds a 56% market share in Europe.

This change is seen as an effort by Apple to comply with the EU’s demands for fairer competition and is expected to impact how music streaming services operate in the region, potentially lowering costs for developers and providing consumers with more purchasing options.