Apple recently introduced a new Small Business Program that reduces the App Store's commission rate to 15% for developers earning up to $1 million per calendar year in net revenue from the sale of apps and in-app purchases. For developers exceeding the $1 million threshold, Apple's standard 30% commission rate still applies.


Earlier this week, Apple began emailing eligible developers about their acceptance into the program, noting that the reduced 15% commission rate would go into effect by January 1, 2021. And as it turns out, Apple isn't waiting long to flip the switch, as some developers are already starting to see the 15% rate applied to their earnings.

A few of the developers already seeing the reduced rate include David Hodge, maker of the third-party Tesla vehicle app Nikola for the iPhone, and Jacob Gorban, a developer of the photo editing app ImageFramer for the Mac.


Apple announced the Small Business Program last month amid increasing scrutiny over its App Store practices, including an antitrust lawsuit from Fortnite maker Epic Games, which is ineligible for the reduced commission since it exceeds the $1 million earnings threshold. Apple said the program will benefit the "vast majority" of App Store developers.

Apple's website has a Small Business Program page where developers can initiate the enrollment process and learn more details.

Article Link: Apple Begins Lowering App Store Commission to 15% for Eligible Developers

How about the indie musicians getting $7 from a $9.99 iTunes album?

But I thought Facebook said Apple is bad for small business!?!?

Can you lower individual Apple Music subscriptions for us working class slave units? My current trend is getting a notification pop up for three months of Apple Music for the price of one month ($9.99). I cancel auto-renew and a month to six weeks after my subscription ends, I usually get that same notification offering the three month deal.

I know it’s the year 2020 and technology has surpassed dial-up and 64bit gaming systems but dang, these companies having the knowledge and software that can spot trends in YOUR shopping behavior is crazy to me.

I can’t Google anything anymore without later on seeing ads pop up advertising products that I previously searched for in the past.

I hate being a cheap skate but $9.99 a month for Apple Music... I don’t know... I only use it a few times a week. Not every day like some people. I would be absolutely fine with $4.99 a month. Apple would even gain more money from me since I’ve been doing the $9.99 three month deal.

Not yet for me. Still 30%.

TantalizedMind said:

I can’t Google anything anymore without later on seeing ads pop up advertising products that I previously searched for in the past.

This is a massive fail on your part on multiple levels.

First of all, do you know how Google makes money? About 90% of their revenue comes from Google AdWords. That's right, Google is really a ginormous Internet ad agency. But don't blindly take my word for it, go read publicly traded parent company Alphabet's SEC filings. There is nothing new about this. Google started this way over twenty years ago and this is still how they make the bulk of their revenue.

Second of all, Google is not the only game in town. You are free to use another search engine such as privacy-focused DuckDuckGo.

Third, using Google Search does not require you to be logged into your Google account.

Fourth, you can turn off your search history in Google's account privacy preferences.

Fifth, you are free to use adblocking software. I do so primarily for security purposes, an unassailable stance.

Sixth, you are free to make alternate Google accounts.

Seventh, you should consider doing your Google searches in incognito/private mode on a web browser.

Eighth, you can also use VPN services to make it harder for Google to render your location data as monetizable.

Erehy Dobon said:

This is a massive fail on your part on multiple levels.

First of all, do you know how Google makes money? About 90% of their revenue comes from Google AdWords. That's right, Google is really a ginormous Internet ad agency. But don't blindly take my word for it, go read publicly traded parent company Alphabet's SEC filings. There is nothing new about this. Google started this way over twenty years ago and this is still how they make the bulk of their revenue.

Second of all, Google is not the only game in town. You are free to use another search engine such as privacy-focused DuckDuckGo.

Third, using Google Search does not require you to be logged into your Google account.

Fourth, you can turn off your search history in Google's account privacy preferences.

Fifth, you are free to use adblocking software. I do so primarily for security purposes, an unassailable stance.

Sixth, you are free to make alternate Google accounts.

Seventh, you should consider doing your Google searches in incognito/private mode on a web browser.

Eighth, you can also use VPN services to make it harder for Google to render your location data as monetizable.

Click to expand...

I'd add in there:
- Privacy enhancing addons such as Ghostery that can prevent much more trackers to enhance your privacy
- Uninstalling Google Chrome and other Google tools on your computer (including that suspiciously self-hiding "updater" of theirs that keeps on using resources all the time)

If you want to go even further there's always TOR ... but I won't advocate using it that much as you'll also be in bad company not just from every conspiracy-believer but also from all-out criminals. [Same goes for many VPN services]

DogHouseDub said:

How about the indie musicians getting $7 from a $9.99 iTunes album?

iTunes takes 30%...so...that's up to the indie musicians.

Erehy Dobon said:

This is a massive fail on your part on multiple levels.

First of all, do you know how Google makes money? About 90% of their revenue comes from Google AdWords. That's right, Google is really a ginormous Internet ad agency. But don't blindly take my word for it, go read publicly traded parent company Alphabet's SEC filings. There is nothing new about this. Google started this way over twenty years ago and this is still how they make the bulk of their revenue.

Second of all, Google is not the only game in town. You are free to use another search engine such as privacy-focused DuckDuckGo.

Third, using Google Search does not require you to be logged into your Google account.

Fourth, you can turn off your search history in Google's account privacy preferences.

Fifth, you are free to use adblocking software. I do so primarily for security purposes, an unassailable stance.

Sixth, you are free to make alternate Google accounts.

Seventh, you should consider doing your Google searches in incognito/private mode on a web browser.

Eighth, you can also use VPN services to make it harder for Google to render your location data as monetizable.

Click to expand...

I have an iPhone and I use Safari. I don’t know if I’m even signed into my Google account. I have Gmail connected to my Mail app but I use fetch not always on and that’s not even Safari. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I bought a PowerMac G5 and Mac Mini so I didn’t need ad-blockers or virus protection. I had enough of Windows. I’ve never received a virus to my computers or iPhones. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Am I really, “doing it wrong?” lol

I’m not trying to hide anything so I don’t think a VPN is necessary for me.

TantalizedMind said:

I have an iPhone and I use Safari. I don’t know if I’m even signed into my Google account. I have Gmail connected to my Mail app but I use fetch not always on and that’s not even Safari. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I bought a PowerMac G5 and Mac Mini so I didn’t need ad-blockers or virus protection. I had enough of Windows. I’ve never received a virus to my computers or iPhones. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Am I really, “doing it wrong?” lol

I’m not trying to hide anything so I don’t think a VPN is necessary for me.

Click to expand...

You're the one complaining about your Google search results being influenced by previous searches.

By your own admittance you are in fact doing it wrong because you are unhappy with the current situation.

But feel free to carry on. It's not like Google is going to stop using your search history. THAT'S WHAT THEY DO.

I'm an indirect shareholder of Alphabet so admittedly I financially benefit from your sloppy Internet behavior.

Merry Christmas, indie devs!

Erehy Dobon said:

Third, using Google Search does not require you to be logged into your Google account.

Sadly many people overlooked this, searching information without being tracked by Google is indeed easy. I am always like this from 2016, using a dedicated chromium build just for searching duty (no personal account involved)

Search result without being logging into Google account yields more neutral result too, where's the logged one have a bit personalized search result ( i've been compared by using some throwaway Google account).

I applied and still no email. I only made like $50 -__-

Ahh, perfect, just in time to miss out on payment from any holiday sales.

TantalizedMind said:

Can you lower individual Apple Music subscriptions for us working class slave units? My current trend is getting a notification pop up for three months of Apple Music for the price of one month ($9.99). I cancel auto-renew and a month to six weeks after my subscription ends, I usually get that same notification offering the three month deal.

I know it’s the year 2020 and technology has surpassed dial-up and 64bit gaming systems but dang, these companies having the knowledge and software that can spot trends in YOUR shopping behavior is crazy to me.

I can’t Google anything anymore without later on seeing ads pop up advertising products that I previously searched for in the past.

I hate being a cheap skate but $9.99 a month for Apple Music... I don’t know... I only use it a few times a week. Not every day like some people. I would be absolutely fine with $4.99 a month. Apple would even gain more money from me since I’ve been doing the $9.99 three month deal.

Click to expand...

There are other streaming music services besides Apple Music.

Confirmed. Just checking the raw sales data I download from app store connect each day and all my purchases on the 23rd December onwards have developer_proceeds at 85% of customer_price
Nice Xmas present Apple, thank you!

I wonder if Facebook also reduced their ads rates for small businesses, especially since their tracking is supposedly "less effective" now.

TantalizedMind said:

Can you lower individual Apple Music subscriptions for us working class slave units? [..]

I hate being a cheap skate

No you don’t.

TantalizedMind said:

but $9.99 a month for Apple Music... I don’t know... I only use it a few times a week. Not every day like some people. I would be absolutely fine with $4.99 a month.

The price is largely defined by the music industry, not by Apple.

Isn't $1 million rather high, don't get me wrong, good for those which earn less but $1 million is quite the salary, that is, if you're the sole dev for an app.

ian87w said:

I wonder if Facebook also reduced their ads rates for small businesses, especially since their tracking is supposedly "less effective" now.

Isn't implemented yet, at least not for non beta/dev testers.

I was amazed at the monthly sub price for the Tesla App, actually for IAP, $9,99 a month...wow.
And then this, look at the screenshot below, on both sides it says "Identifiers", so is the data linked to you or not?

justperry said:

Isn't $1 million rather high, don't get me wrong, good for those which earn less but $1 million is quite the salary, that is, if you're the sole dev for an app.

For a sole dev, yes, that’s fairly high.

It depends on regional salaries — you can probably sustain about a dozen people in east Europe, or about three or four in Silicon Valley.

TantalizedMind said:

I have an iPhone and I use Safari. I don’t know if I’m even signed into my Google account. I have Gmail connected to my Mail app but I use fetch not always on and that’s not even Safari. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I bought a PowerMac G5 and Mac Mini so I didn’t need ad-blockers or virus protection. I had enough of Windows. I’ve never received a virus to my computers or iPhones. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Am I really, “doing it wrong?” lol

I’m not trying to hide anything so I don’t think a VPN is necessary for me.

Click to expand...

Adblockers and antivirus software in the same sentence. LOL!

Erehy Dobon said:

You're the one complaining about your Google search results being influenced by previous searches.

By your own admittance you are in fact doing it wrong because you are unhappy with the current situation.

But feel free to carry on. It's not like Google is going to stop using your search history. THAT'S WHAT THEY DO.

I'm an indirect shareholder of Alphabet so admittedly I financially benefit from your sloppy Internet behavior.

Click to expand...

Jumping briefly here because I’m actually curious and realizing I’m doing it wrong too...

In your examples and suggestions pointers, a lot of them are related to having a Google account and I’m assuming using Google Chrome as the main browser? I would have expected using Safari (and in consequence not being logged anywhere by default Google wise) to do a chunk of help, but apparently not.
The rest of the points are about “that’s Google nature, that’s what they do”, adblockers which I guess block the ads but not the tracking itself and VPN which is basically “hide yourself” and pay the associated side effects (like getting relay servers that are farther away from you).

In that case, short of making a lot of effort to circumvent the tracking as much as actively possible, suddenly I realize then the reason for DuckDuckGo and Brave browsers and how they are suddenly becoming more famous... as just putting a foot on Google land triggers a barrage of tracking on you no matter the browser, account status, etc

Something tells me to even avoid chrome’s incognito mode, sounds more like “we will still track you, that’s what we do, but we just won’t tell you about it or use it today back at you”. Damn.

At this point there’s nothing that Apple can do to stop the antitrust train. Their App Store monopoly is coming to an end one way or another.

Why does Apple take money from Evil Google to be their default search engine? Shouldn’t they want to do business with someone who shares their same privacy concerns?

Why didn’t they make a deal with Duck Duck Go instead?