Spotify is initiating an update that may enable iPhone users in the United States to buy audiobooks via external links. The announcement, made in a post on Friday, indicates that Spotify has submitted the update to Apple. If granted approval, Premium subscribers would also have the option to purchase “top-ups” for additional audiobook listening time.
This proposed modification follows a recent ruling in the case of Epic Games v. Apple, where Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers determined that Apple was in “willful violation” of a 2021 injunction. The judge mandated Apple to cease collecting a commission of up to 27 percent on purchases made through external links and prohibited the company from restricting developers in how they guide users to make purchases beyond the App Store.
In alignment with the ruling, Spotify has begun allowing users to acquire subscriptions via external links.
Integrating links and pricing details for audiobooks would mark a significant transformation for the app. Spotify had previously tried to navigate around Apple’s constraints by omitting audiobook prices from the app and instead sending users an email with a link to purchase desired audiobooks on the web. Eventually, Spotify discontinued audiobook purchases on iOS altogether.
Spotify emphasized that the change would create a more equitable environment by enabling developers to provide essential pricing information and accessible links for purchasing digital goods via iPhones without unnecessary hurdles or additional taxes imposed by Apple. The company stated, “In short, this freedom is a win for authors, audiences, and developers everywhere — if Apple approves and if the legal ruling stands despite Apple’s continued attempts to stop it.”
While Apple has requested the court to pause the order during its appeal, several other applications, including Kindle, Patreon, and Delta’s emulator, are already adapting to the new, relaxed regulations.
