Spotify’s efforts to update its iOS app in the European Union have hit a snag, as Apple has rejected the latest version, 8.9.33, from publication in the App Store. The issue stems from Spotify’s non-compliance with Apple’s new Music Streaming Services Entitlement (EEA), which requires streaming services to use external links, buttons, or calls to action to direct users to a purchase mechanism on a website owned or controlled by the developer, rather than using Apple’s In-App Purchase system.
Apple has implemented a number of changes to its App Store policies, largely in response to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which aims to promote competition and reduce the dominance of large platform companies. These changes include new guidelines that developers must follow when performing specific actions within their apps. The Music Streaming Services Entitlement is part of these efforts to provide more flexibility for streaming services operating in the European Economic Area.
Before developers can incorporate external links and buttons into their streaming apps, they must accept the terms of the Music Streaming Services Entitlement and include the entitlement profile as part of their App Store review submission. Apple has stated that while version 8.9.33 of Spotify’s app has not been approved for release in the App Store at this time, it has not been entirely rejected. The App Review team has indicated that the update can be resubmitted once Spotify accepts the terms of the entitlement.
It remains unclear whether the app will face similar obstacles in other regions, but as the Music Streaming Services Entitlement is specifically tailored to the EEA, it is expected to be approved for release in other territories. Spotify has previously expressed dissatisfaction with Apple’s lengthy review process for App Store updates, with the company complaining in March that Apple had not responded to a previous update submission for nine days.
The Music Streaming Services Entitlement, as outlined by Apple’s developer support documentation, allows streaming services to include a link to a developer-owned website that can provide information on alternative ways to purchase digital goods or services. This means that instead of relying on the In-App Payments process, apps can direct users to their own purchasing systems. To qualify for the entitlement, an app must primarily offer music streaming services, have Music selected as its primary app category, and be available in the iOS and iPadOS App Store for an EEA storefront. Additionally, the app cannot use the StoreKit External Link Account Entitlement profile, which serves a similar purpose for other app types, and must not participate in the Video Partner Program or News Partner Program. It is worth noting that apps that utilize this alternative purchase process are still subject to a commission fee of 27% on purchases made through their own systems, which is slightly lower than the standard 30% fee for direct App Store payments. This commission drops to 12% for apps participating in the Small Business Program or for transactions that are auto-renewing in the second year or later of a subscription.
