Apple says its new Apple One service bundle isn’t unfair to Spotify

Apple, the world’s most valuable company, is currently under attack by Fortnite developer Epic Games in a tremendous legal and cultural battle, but Epic isn’t the first to accuse Apple of abusing monopoly power.

Related: Apple is seeking compensation from Epic Games for breach of contract

Currently, Spotify — the music service whose complaints helped launch two official EU antitrust investigations into Apple’s App Store and Apple Pay practices — takes offense at Apple’s announcement of an all-in-one subscription bundle that includes rival Apple Music.

Here’s Spotify’s statement:

Once again, Apple is using its dominant position and unfair practices to disadvantage competitors and deprive consumers by favoring its own services. We call on competition authorities to act urgently to restrict Apple’s anti-competitive behavior, which if left unchecked, will cause irreparable harm to the developer community and threaten our collective freedoms to listen, learn, create, and connect.

While that certainly reads like boilerplate instead of saying something completely new, it seems rather plausible that some might choose Apple Music over Spotify if the entire bundle seems like a good deal, and Apple certainly has the marketing power to push the bundle hard.

Also Read: Spotify adds a lyrics-based search feature to its Android and iOS apps

Even so, Spotify is no stranger to its bundle: it’s bundled with Hulu, with AT&T cellular service, and with several Samsung phones.

Meanwhile, Apple insists that its customers will still be able to “discover and enjoy alternatives”:

Customers can discover and enjoy alternatives to every one of Apple’s services. We’re introducing Apple One because it is a great value for customers and a simple way to access the full range of Apple’s subscription services. We’ll be recommending the Apple One plan that saves you the most money based on the subscriptions you already have. It’s perfect for anyone who loves any of our services and wants to get more for less, and it’s especially great for families. Also select services included in Apple One are available to enjoy on non-Apple devices, and you can cancel anytime.

Last June, Apple announced that Apple Music already has 60 million subscribers, but has a way to catch up with Spotify's 100 million. This June, Spotify passed 138 million subscribers.

Keywords: apple spotify, apple spotify fight, apple one services bundle