Spotify’s not happy about the way that Apple charges a 30 percent fee toward sales thorough its App Store, including subscription services.
The tax structure means that in order for Spotify to make $9.99 per month for its premium service it has had to raise the app subscription price to $12.99 — which prices it out of the market compared to the lower-cost Apple-owned Beats Music service, set to launch this summer.
Apple may be struggling to finalize deals with record labels ahead of its Beats Music rebranding this summer, but that’s not stopping the U.S. Federal Trade Commission from scrutinizing it for potential antitrust violations, according to a new report.
The reason? Despite currently experiencing an 8 percent drop in its iTunes popularity, Apple’s history as the largest seller of music downloads means it could theoretically abuse its position to put rival companies on the back-foot.
The next big feature for the iPhone might involve a lot of spitting. Apple is planning to launch new Research Kit studies at WWDC in June that will focus on DNA studies, according to a new report, claiming Apple is collaborating with researchers in the U.S. to create two new apps.
The new apps will be based on ResearchKit, Apple’s software platform that helps scientists and hospitals run medical studies on the iPhone. If successful, the new studies could give many iPhone users their first look at their genetic information by sending a ‘spit-kit’ to an Apple-approved laboratory.
Apple is planning to unveil its big redesign and rebranding of Beats Music this summer at WWDC, but according to a new report citing industry insiders, Jimmy Iovine and Eddy Cue are having a hard time finalizing deals with major labels.
Apple has been gearing up to launch a redesigned Apple TV to go with its rumored streaming service, and a new report claims the new black box will also include a redesigned TV remote with a trackpad.
Apple’s big Beats Music relaunch might be revealed next month at WWDC, and Apple is trying to clear a path through Spotify and YouTube by strong-arming labels into killing freemium music services.
The aggressive tactics have triggered the Department of Justice to look into Apple’s business practices for its upcoming music streaming service, according to a report from the Verge, claiming high-ranking music industry execs have already been interviewed.
Today Apple gave access for developers to try its new App Analytics tool for the App Store. Originally announced last year at WWDC, developers can now use Apple’s analytics service to track everything from how people find their apps to how long they use them.
Based on early reactions, developers are pretty excited.
Apple’s streaming TV service has long been a force of fodder for the rumor mill, but according to Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, it’s already a foregone conclusion.
During Time Warner’s earning’s call on Wednesday, Bewkes told investors that he’s ‘pretty confident’ will launch a service that streams TV over the Internet, and we might not have to wait much longer to finally see it.
Most of us can agree that selfie sticks are pretty much the bane of humanity, right? Heck, even Apple agrees: Cupertino already threw down a decree from on high that selfie sticks are not welcome at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference.
But while I admit to thinking the selfie stick pretty much represented the nadir of civilization and the beginning of the end for humanity, I spoke too soon.
It’s nothing compared to this monstrosity: the Selfie Arm.
When Apple picked up Beats, they got a music service along with the headphone hardware and executive talents of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine.
It looks like Apple has just upped its game, internally, in creating a Spotify-killer: Cupertino has just picked up four producers from BBC Radio 1, including key talent from hot radio property “BBC Introducing.”