Apple today shared an update on its subscription businesses and global App Store, noting that the tech company has now paid out a record $320 billion to app developers since 2008 — a number that reflects the revenue apps have generated, minus Apple’s commission. In addition, the tech giant said it now has more than 900 million paid subscriptions across Apple services, with subscriptions on the App Store driving a “significant” part of that figure.
Image Credits: Apple
The company’s App Store in 2022 faced one of its tougher years since its founding, with lawsuits and antitrust actions aimed at limiting its market power. The U.S. Department of Justice is said to now be in the early stages of filing an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, even chiming in on the Apple-Epic Games antitrust appeal recently to point out to the court why the original ruling — which had decided that Apple was not a monopolist — had misinterpreted antitrust law. The U.K. is also probing the Android-iOS duopoly, with a specific focus on browsers and cloud gaming services.
Apple also this year had to make concessions over various parts of its App Store business.
For example, in the Netherlands, it had to comply with an antitrust order that allowed dating apps to use third-party payments. Multiple European countries are probing its App Tracking Transparency framework for antitrust issues. And last month, Apple loosened its grip on App Store pricing with the introduction of 700 new price points and rules that now permit developers to set prices that don’t end in $0.99 to combat complaints that Apple doesn’t let developers run their own businesses as they see fit — a result of a class action lawsuit with U.S. app developers settled in 2021.
Despite its challenges, Apple’s App Store business continues to grow.
The company noted that more than 650 million visitors from 175 regions worldwide visit the App Store every week and it’s still delivering new experiences. Among the highlights was the launch of Apex Legends on mobile earlier this year, and the growing popularity of a new form of social networking with BeReal, Apple’s “app of the year.”
Apple’s game subscription service, Apple Arcade, also grew in 2022 with the addition of more than 50 titles, including Warped Kart Racers, Jetpack Joyride 2, Gibbon: Beyond the Trees, Wylde Flowers and Cooking Mama: Cuisine. The service now hosts more than 200 games in total.
Image Credits: Apple
Apple also highlighted stats across other services, noting Apple Music has topped over 100 million songs, and growing Spatial Audio adoption with monthly listeners tripling since launch. Shazam’s 20th anniversary in 2022 saw it hitting the milestone of 70 billion all-time Shazams. (It didn’t report on its Podcasts figures, however.)
Apple Fitness+, meanwhile, grew its library to 3,500 workouts and meditations. And Apple TV+ became the first streaming service to win an Academy Award for Best Picture with “CODA.” In February, the Apple TV app will begin streaming Major League Soccer games, after the announcement of a 10-year partnership between Apple and the league.