Skip to main content

Don’t pay the Apple tax, Spotify says, pay for Premium on our website instead

spotify premium users pay through site not itunes event 5 19 2
Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends
Spotify recently sent out a guide to iPhone subscribers who pay through the Apple App Store to help them set up their subscription payments through its website instead. Not only will its subscribers pay less if they go through Spotify, but they’ll avoid the so-called Apple tax on all payments processed through iTunes.

Currently, subscribers of Spotify’s music streaming service pay $10 a month when signed up directly through the company’s website. Users who are paying through the App Store, however, are paying $13 a month. The difference exists to take into account the 30 percent that Apple takes from each and every app purchase made through its own stores.

The Verge first spotted the guide that’s being sent out to Spotify subscribers, which details exactly how to cancel their auto-renew subscription in the App Store, and sign up for Spotify Premium directly through the company’s website.

The guide reads, “In case you didn’t know, the normal Premium price is only $9.99, but Apple charges 30 percent on all payments made through iTunes,” adding that, “You can get the exact same Spotify for only $9.99/month, and it’s super simple.” The subscriber-wide email goes on to succinctly list the exact steps necessary to cut the chain with Apple and save yourself a few dollars a month.

Unfortunately if users end their auto-renews to switch payment methods in the middle of a billing cycle, there maybe some temporary service loss until the next month begins. If you’re considering the switch, it would be best to wait until your month is almost up, and survive without your Spotify premium for just a few days.

Apple has received some complaints in the past over its 30-percent fee from all App store sales, though there are reports that the company may be changing the requirement in the near future.

Spotify’s new guide may not be an act of professional rivalry, since Apple Music hasn’t even made a dent in Spotify’s subscriber numbers yet. However, it could be a proactive measure to keep iPhone users on Spotify. Once Apple Music’s free trial ends, it will cost $10 a month, too, or $15 a month for a family plan.

Editors' Recommendations

Andre Revilla
Andre Revilla is an entrepreneur and writer from Austin, TX that has been working in and covering the consumer tech space for…
Don’t buy the Apple Watch Series 3 anymore — it’s not worth it

After Apple announced the long-awaited Apple Watch Series 7, you may have found your eyes, and especially your wallet, drawn to the idea of the Apple Watch Series 3 dropping its price to a downright affordable $199. While it won't have any of the features of the Series 7, like upgraded specs, improved battery life, a fancy new design, and a plethora of new features, it'll come in at $200 less, compared to the $399 Series 7. This may sound like a deal on its face. But we advise against falling for this ruse.

Here's why:
A design that hasn't aged well
First, put this timeline into perspective. Apple released the Series 3 in September 2017. The design back then didn't put it out of step with other smartwatches on the market. At release, we even praised it in our review as a "joy to use" and the "best smartwatch you can buy." That was true then, but in 2021 the design has started to show its age.

Read more
Amazon Music now has a car mode, but don’t use it while driving
Amazon Music Car Mode

The Amazon Music app for iOS and Android now comes with an optional car mode that offers up a simplified interface that can automatically launch as soon as you connect to your car's Bluetooth system.

It looks like the ideal solution for those who don't have an infotainment system that's compatible with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto but want to stream music from Amazon Music while driving. According to an email from Amazon's PR partner, the new feature was designed "to limit extensive browsing while driving." Curiously, however, on the webpage that promotes car mode, Amazon warns its customers that they should not "interact with this app while operating your vehicle." Which naturally raises the question: Why give the app a car mode at all?

Read more
Apple isn’t making a foldable iPhone anytime soon, so don’t get your hopes up
samsung galaxy z fold 2 release news fold2 open sides

The foldable iPhone is coming! That's according to a new Digitimes report, at least. The supply chain-monitoring publication is following the considerable ramp up of production in flexible OLED displays, noting that Samsung Display is aiming to produce 900,000 such panels per month -- and even more in the future. The leap in logic then is that this increase in demand will only grow as Digitimes feels Apple is set to enter the foldable phone market in ... 2022:

"Digitimes Research believes that Apple will likely step into the foldable smartphone sector in 2022, furthering demand for flexible OLED displays," the report states.

Read more