If you live in a European Union country, Apple will make it easy to pay for music purchases and subscriptions outside of your payment system. As mentioned for the first time 9-5Macthe company updated Apple Developer guidelines page Stating that iOS and iPadOS music streaming apps “in certain regions” may now include a link to an external website where you can find alternative ways to pay for content and services. Developers may ask you to provide your email address so they can send you a link to that website.
In early March, the European Union slapped Apple 1.8 billion euros ($1.95 billion) in fines to prevent music streaming app developers from informing iOS users of “alternative and less expensive music subscription services available outside of the app” and from providing any instructions on how to subscribe to such offers. According to the European Commission, this anti-governance practice is illegal under the bloc’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA) rules, which come into effect in May 2023.
At the end of March, EU officials announced that they had investigates Apple, Meta, and Google on their compatibility with DMA. The commission was not happy with the changes the companies had made to comply with the law and was concerned that they still “restrict developers’ ability to communicate freely and promote proposals and directly conclude contracts, including by imposing various charges. “
With these latest changes, music apps can be more transparent about their pricing, so you can make an informed choice whether to pay through Apple or use other methods offered by developers.
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