Apple has approved a Spotify iOS update in the U.S. following a ‘landmark’ Epic Games ruling. Photo Credit: James Yarema
On the heels of a major ruling in the marathon Apple v. Epic Games legal battle, Spotify has received approval for an updated version of its iOS app in the U.S.
The vocal App Store critic Spotify revealed as much in a “Time to Play Fair” blog post. Originally published yesterday (following the April 30th ruling), that post reiterated the streaming service’s long-sought changes on iOS.
As many know, those changes include but aren’t limited to enhanced pricing-display details and bolstered payment options for Spotify, which has a decidedly smoother professional relationship with the Play Store operator Google.
In the same document, the AI-minded Spotify went ahead and disclosed that it’d already submitted the appropriate update to Apple. Now, the iPhone developer has signed off on the changes.
“After nearly a decade,” Spotify added to the original blog post today, “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,” the company concluded.
Unsurprisingly, given Spotify’s years-running Apple showdown, the victory lap didn’t stop there. The New York Post today put out a friendly interview with CEO Daniel Ek, who took the opportunity to offer a parting shot at Apple’s “pretty draconian rules” for app developers.
But as Spotify itself acknowledged, “more work” remains in its App Store dispute. First, the streaming service is still entangled in a regulatory confrontation with Apple in the EU, where appeals and fresh fines are in motion.
Stateside, Apple CEO Tim Cook yesterday doubled down on plans to appeal the Epic case’s ruling, and it’ll certainly be worth monitoring that process moving forward. Cook’s comments arrived as part of Apple’s earnings call (the Q&A portion of which focused chiefly on tariffs) for 2025’s initial three months.
In the corresponding report, the Apple Music operator pointed to $26.65 billion in services revenue for the quarter, up almost 12% year over year. All told, Apple says it has “well over” one billion subscriptions across its suite of services.
Content shared from www.digitalmusicnews.com.