Spotify designed a nine-step process for purchasing an audiobook, which involved a customer tapping on an audiobook and seeing a screen with a lock over the play button. The feature was designed with Spotify's legal team involved, and Apple initially approved the update in September, but later reversed course, rejecting subsequent updates. With the rule change, Spotify wanted to direct customers to buy books online to listen to in the app, rather than giving Apple a cut of its audiobook sales.Īpple apparently told Spotify that it can send customers emails about online purchases, but Spotify is not able to offer a button inside of the app to request emails. Over the years, Apple and Spotify have had a long running dispute over Apple's App Store policies, with multiple public conflicts over app and subscription fees and app rejections due to Spotify's attempts to skirt the up to 30 percent cut that Apple takes from purchases.Īpple says that Spotify is again trying to get around its ‌App Store‌ rules, and the Cupertino company claims that Spotify's audiobooks update is not in line with guidelines that cover how apps can communicate with users about purchasing options outside of the ‌App Store‌.Īpple last year agreed to an App Store rule change that allows developers to use communications like email to share information methods about payment options that are available outside of an iOS app, but Spotify is running into issues attempting to implement this feature. Apple has reportedly rejected Spotify's latest app update three times in the last month. Apple and Spotify are once again feuding as Spotify attempts to break into the audiobook market, reports The New York Times.

Audiobooks on spotify