Audio streaming platform Spotify now has 195 million paid subscribers and expects to cross the 200 million mark by the end of this year, the company said in its September-ending quarter financial update.
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The company also revealed that it has an additional 273 million free users with a total of 456 monthly active users.
However, the Swedish company blamed Apple for making it difficult to sell audiobooks to its users. Spotify introduced audiobooks in the U.S. earlier last month.
Apple’s “anti-competitive behaviour” was hurting everyone including audiobook listeners, publishers and authors, Spotify said in a blog post.
The company has urged decision makers to act swiftly to end Apple’s “anti-competitive behaviour”.
Apple charges a commission of up to 30% on purchases made in its App store and bars certain developers from using or directing users to external payment options.
Spotify said that these rules make the process of purchasing audiobooks on its platform “far too complicated and confusing” and accused Apple of changing its rules arbitrarily making them “impossible to interpret”.
This is not the first time Spotify has accused Apple. In 2019, the company had filed an antitrust complaint against Apple in Europe. It claimed that Apple’s 30% commission on its App store was harming consumers.
At present Spotify users with iOS devices have to visit the company's website to make purchases or manage subscriptions. They cannot manage their subscription via in-app purchases.
