Apple Music is Being Closely Examined by the FTC

Before the launch of Apple Music, Reuters reports the FTC had already been heavily scrutinizing into Cupertino’s “treatment of rival streaming music apps” to ensure that there is no violation of any antitrust law. Because iTunes offers downloads for competitor apps like Spotify, Apple recieves a 30 percent cut per subscription paid through the platform. This will cause the companies to either charge extra three dollars on top of their $9.99 monthly fee in order to match Apple Music’s pricing. On top of this, the FTC are examining the App Store’s restrictions, such as constraining companies from mentioning mirror locations for their app downloads, and directing to their websites to purchase merchandise. To fight this, Spotify recently sent a mass email to subscribers providing information on how to directly sign up via their website rather than paying an extra three dollars through iTunes. As of now, the FTC investigation isn’t official yet, but Apple Music is under heavy scrutiny. We’ll keep you updated.