Spotify added 300,000 audiobook titles last month when it launched its new audiobook business. However, it now claims that Apple is acting “anticompetitive” and preventing them from growing, the company wrote in a blog post.
Spotify said Apple had rejected its audiobook purchase system three times because it violated its rules. To comply, the company has had to hide the price of audiobooks and make sales outside the main app through an e-mail link. This makes it difficult for Spotify to compete because users can’t easily compare prices. It’s also highly inconvenient for customers who are used to just clicking on a link to buy an audiobook.
In an interview with The New York Times, Apple said that Spotify hadn’t followed App Store rules, which is why the tech giant didn’t accept audiobooks. “We provided them with clear guidance on how to resolve the issue, and approved their app after they made changes that brought it into compliance,” an Apple spokesperson said.
If Spotify sold its audiobooks through the App Store purchase system, Apple would get a 30 percent share. This puts Spotify audiobooks at a disadvantage compared to Apple Books.
