Spotify app adds support for direct purchases & payments after court mandate

Apple has now approved an update to the Spotify app on the App Store that includes direct links for purchasing and price information, after it was required to do so by a court ruling on April 30.

"There is more work to do," said Spotify spokesperson Jeanne Moran in a statement provided to CNBC, "but today represents a significant milestone for developers and entrepreneurs everywhere who want to build [apps] and compete on a more level playing field."

By adding a direct link to the company's own store into its app, Spotify and other developers can avoid having to pay Apple a 30 percent commission on in-app purchases. Judge Rogers ruled in 2021 that Apple could not force developers to use only App Store links.

Following the order, Spotify submitted a new app update on May 1. Apple approved the app update the next day, bringing direct links to purchases to the Spotify app. By allowing direct links, users can make in-app purchases or subscribe to services without also paying Apple's 30 percent commission.

The judge has ordered Apple to stop imposing commissions on purchases through web links found inside iPhone and iPad apps. Apple said that it will comply with Judge Rogers' order, but will also file an appeal.

Apple said in a statement that it "strongly disagrees" with the judge's ruling. However, it updated its guidelines to allow direct pricing information in app listings on May 2.

Moran noted that Spotify had been trying to get pricing information and links to purchase into the App Store's version of the Spotify app for nearly a decade. The two companies have also done battle over audiobooks, Apple's compliance with the Digital Markets Act, and about previous versions of the Spotify app draining iPhone batteries, among other disputes.

Users can now purchase subscriptions through the app, as well as upgrade, change or delete their plan as needed. The new options can be found in the newly-updated Spotify app, version 9.0.40.

While Apple has now complied with the judge's order to allow apps like Spotify to offer direct in-app purchasing, the company is not out of the legal woods in the case. Judge Rogers also found Apple in contempt of court after finding that the company willfully violated her original order.

She also noted that Apple's Vice President of Finance Alex Roman outright lied about when the company decided to charge a 27 percent fee on some purchases linked to its App Store. Rogers has now referred the matter to US attorneys, who could pursue criminal contempt charges against both Roman and Apple.