If you reside in a nation that is a member of the European Union, Apple will make it simpler for you to pay for music purchases and subscriptions outside of its payment system. The business has changed the page on its Apple Developer guidelines that states that music streaming apps for iOS and iPadOS “in specific regions” may now link to an external website that offers alternate payment methods for services and content. 9to5Mac was the first to notice this change. In order to provide you a link to that website, developers may also ask for your email address.
Apple was fined €1.8 billion ($1.95 billion) by the European Union at the beginning of March for not allowing the developers of music streaming apps to tell iOS users “about alternative and cheaper music subscription services available outside of the app and from providing any instructions about how to subscribe to such offers.” The European Commission stated that as of May 2023, the bloc’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations prohibit this anti-steering tactic.
By the end of March, EU officials revealed that they were investigating Apple, Meta and Google over their compliance with the DMA. The commission wasn’t happy with the changes the companies made in order to adhere to the law, and it was concerned that they were still constraining “developers’ ability to freely communicate and promote offers and directly conclude contracts, including by imposing various charges.”
With these recent changes, music apps can be more transparent about their pricing, so you can make an informed choice on whether to pay via Apple or use the other methods offered by the developers.
