Spotify Submits App Update to Apple After Ruling in Epic Games Lawsuit

Spotify said Thursday (May 1) that it submitted a new app update to Apple that includes features made possible by a Wednesday (April 30) court order that required Apple to “loosen its iron grip on its App Store.”

The ruling in the case brought by Epic Games requires Apple to stop restricting developers’ ability to communicate with their customers free of charge, Spotify said in a Thursday press release.

When approved by Apple, Spotify’s app update will allow U.S. consumers to see pricing details on subscriptions, information about promotions and other details in the Spotify app; click a link to purchase the subscription of their choice; and seamlessly click the link to change subscriptions, according to the release.

In addition, U.S. consumers will be able to use other payment options — not just Apple’s payment system — and in the future access other buying opportunities that will directly benefit creators, per the release.

“If all of this seems obvious and user-friendly, you’re right, and we agree — these are the kinds of improvements that any app should offer its users,” Spotify said in the release. “The fact that we haven’t been able to deliver these basic services, which were permitted by the judge’s order four years ago, is absurd. The ruling made it clear that Apple deliberately abused its market power to intentionally harm others and benefit only itself. But thanks to this important ruling in the case between Apple and Epic Games yesterday, this should change ‘effective immediately’ — those are the judge’s words.”

Apple did not immediately reply to PYMNTS’ request for comment.

A company spokesperson told Bloomberg after the court ruling: “We strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court’s order and we will appeal.”

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said in a Wednesday post on X that the company will return its game Fortnite to the U.S. iOS App Store next week.

“Epic puts forth a peace proposal: If Apple extends the court’s friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we’ll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic,” Sweeney said in the post.