Spotify Soft-Announces in-app Fan Clubs in EU markets after DMA
First spotted by Music Business Worldwide. With the Digital Markets Act rolling out on March 7th, Spotify indicates it will soon be able to enable new features like a "superfan club". They attribute this feature & many others being now possible thanks to the removal of the "Apple Tax" which has dominated the App Store for years now.
The TLDR
- Apple previously only allowed in app purchases to be done through their own payment platform, and took a mandatory 30% cut of revenue. The Digital Markets Act in the European Union opens the floor for apps to accept their own payment methods without paying the extra fees
- Spotify has fought for years to get this privilege, and it appears as if it's acting fast to finally implement things they've waited years to add. One of these things is a potential superfan club that could allow fan to directly support artists
- Be on the lookout for a new tab in your Spotify for Artists page, since this super fan service could come out at any time. This could be a new avenue for revenue for small artists, and a great new way for artists to connect with their biggest supporters.
- This will only affect European listeners & android listeners, so your audience may not be able to access this feature for the foreseeable future. That being said, it doesn't mean you shouldn't consider how similar services like Patreon or TikTok Series might offer you a new way to connect with your top fans.