Music streaming service Spotify struck a seemingly distinctive and extremely beneficiant take care of Google for Android-based funds, in accordance with new testimony within the Epic v. Google trial. On the stand, Google head of worldwide partnerships Don Harrison confirmed Spotify paid a 0 % fee when customers selected to purchase subscriptions via Spotify’s personal system. If the customers picked Google as their cost processor, Spotify handed over 4 % — dramatically lower than Google’s more common 15 percent fee.
Google fought to keep the Spotify numbers private throughout its antitrust combat with Epic, saying they might injury negotiations with different app builders who would possibly need extra beneficiant charges. Google’s Person Alternative Billing program, launched in 2022, is often described as shaving about 4 percent off Google’s Play Retailer fee if builders use their very own cost system, bringing down Google’s 15 % subscription service price to extra like 11 %. That always finally ends up saving builders little or no cash since they need to foot the price of cost processing themselves. And in courtroom, Google has targeted on advantages like better flexibility moderately than price financial savings.
However Harrison says Spotify’s “unprecedented” recognition was great enough to justify a “bespoke” deal. “If we don’t have Spotify working correctly throughout Play companies and core companies, individuals is not going to purchase Android telephones,” Harrison testified. As a part of the deal, each events additionally agreed to commit $50 million apiece to a “success fund.”
Google acknowledged Harrison’s testimony in an announcement to The Verge. “A small variety of builders that make investments extra immediately in Android and Play could have completely different service charges as a part of a broader partnership that features substantial monetary investments and product integrations throughout completely different type components,” says spokesperson Dan Jackson. “These key funding partnerships enable us to carry extra customers to Android and Play by repeatedly bettering the expertise for all customers and create new alternatives for all builders.”
Spotify has complained continuously about in-app buy charges previously. In mid-2023, it utterly dropped support for Apple’s App Store billing system to keep away from paying as much as a 30 % fee, and it was one of many highest-profile early members of the Coalition for App Fairness, a gaggle that included Epic and supported the Fortnite writer’s antitrust swimsuit in opposition to Apple and Google. However whereas Epic has continued its authorized battle in opposition to each events, Spotify apparently discovered a better — and much cheaper — method out of the Google combat.