If you live in an EU country, Apple is making it easier for you to pay for music purchases and subscriptions outside of its payment system.As first noticed 9 to 5, the company updated its Apple Developer Guidelines page to note that “region-specific” iOS and iPadOS music streaming apps can now include links to external websites where you can find alternative ways to pay for content and services. Developers can also ask you for your email address so they can send you a link to their website.
In early March, the European Union fined Apple 1.8 billion euros ($1.95 billion) for preventing music streaming app developers from informing iOS users of “alternative and cheaper music subscription services available outside the apps and providing Any instructions on how to use these services”. Subscribe to such offers. ” The European Commission said that this counter-steering practice is illegal under the EU’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA) rules that come into effect in May 2023.
At the end of March, EU officials revealed that they were investigating whether Apple, Meta and Google complied with the DMA. The committee is not satisfied with the changes the companies have made to comply with the law and is concerned that they still restrict “the ability of developers to communicate and promote offers freely and enter into contracts directly, including through the imposition of various fees. “
With these recent changes, music app pricing can be more transparent, so you can make informed choices about whether to pay through Apple or use other methods provided by developers.
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