Software : Editor's pick: Get the best deals and voucher codes when you shop online with Pricehawk |
- Editor's pick: Get the best deals and voucher codes when you shop online with Pricehawk
- Round up: The best free photo editors 2016
- Updated: Best free video editing software: top movie making applications [July 2016]
- Updated: Why Apple buying Tidal makes sense
- Is Apple keeping you from the best Spotify experience possible?
| Editor's pick: Get the best deals and voucher codes when you shop online with Pricehawk Posted:  Get the cheapest deals and best voucher codesThe best deals on tech and gamesFinding the best prices when you're shopping online can be a real hassle, with deals and voucher codes for the same product changing by the minute.
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| Round up: The best free photo editors 2016 Posted:  Best free photo editing softwareThe best free photo editorsWith phone cameras now ubiquitous, we're taking and sharing more photos than ever. But even the best phone camera is likely to produce a dud or two, and even the best shot could stand to be better. Photo editing, then, shouldn't be the sole reserve of those who can afford to stump up the cash for a subscription to Adobe's Creative Cloud. And no, Microsoft Paint or Apple Preview won't cut it: you deserve more than mere cropping or a few sliders to tweak. So we've overhauled our list for 2016 and selected our current top ten tools for free photo editing, ranging from fully-featured Photoshop clones to simple, easy to use ways to add filters and effects to your favourite snaps. These are by no means the only free options, though: if we've missed one of your favourites, let us know in the comments below.
1. GIMPSilly name, exceptional photo-editing software
That said, if you're looking for a desktop photo editor ready for just about any task, GIMP is it. Its interface will be immediately familiar to Photoshop users, particularly if you switch on the highly recommended single window mode, and it's still in active development so new features and filters are regularly added.
2. Paint.NETBasic photo editing with layers, filters and plug-ins Sometimes it pays not to be overloaded with bells and whistles. Paint.NET's simplicity is one of its key features; it leaves it a fast, easy to operate editor that's perfect for those little tasks that don't need a full-blown advanced tool. Don't be fooled by the name, though. This isn't just a clone of Microsoft's ultra-basic Paint – though it was originally intended to replace it. It's a proper photo editor, just one that lands on the basic side of the curve.
3. PhotoScapeA simple, unusual editor that can handle more than just photos PhotoScape is, ostensibly, a rather simple photo editor. But one glance at its main menu reveals a wealth of features: RAW conversion, photo splitting and merging, animated GIF creation, and even a rather odd (but useful) function with which you can print lined, graph or sheet music paper. The meat, of course, is in the photo editing. PhotoScape's interface is among the most esoteric of all the apps we've looked at here, with tools grouped into pages in odd configurations. It certainly doesn't attempt to ape Photoshop, and includes fewer features.
4. Google Nik CollectionA professional-level filter selection, now made free Google's unending determination to corner just about every market sometimes pays dividends for the pincher of pennies. Take its purchase of German developer Nik in 2012, for example - its Nik Collection photo manipulation plugin range retailed for $500 at the time, and in early 2016 Google decided to do away with the price tag and release the powerful collection for free. We suspect support and updates might be somewhat limited going forward, but this does enable you to bag seven quality tools as-is: lens and film emulator Analog Efex; colour corrector Color Efex; monochrome converter Silver Efex; noise reducer Dfine; selective colour tweaker Viveza; and Sharpener and HDR Efex, which speak for themselves.
5. PixlrHigh-end photo editing – and quick filtering – in your browser An ad-supported online editor, Pixlr comes in two flavours: Editor, the more equipped package; and Express, perfect for applying quick fixes without the bloat of the bigger package. It's actually the online editor we tend to gravitate towards, both because of its clean, modern dark interface and because of its efficiency even on systems without much processor muscle. Some of Pixlr Editor's tools, particularly the filters, can be a bit tricky to use because you're not given a proper preview, but the results – when you do eventually get the sliders right – are almost always satisfactory. With support for layers, masks, and a fullscreen mode which means it might as well be a full-on desktop app, Editor (pictured) is a consistently pleasant tool to use. And don't discount Express; a bit of low-effort clicking can really make a huge difference to your photos.
6. FotorOverall photo enhancement in an easy-to-use package Fotor is a photo enhancer first and foremost, more than it is a photo editor; if there's specific area of retouching you need doing with, say, the clone brush or healing tool, you're out of luck. But it includes a stack of high-end filters that really do shine. There's a foolproof tilt-shift tool, for example, and a raft of vintage and vibrant colour tweaks, all easily accessed through Fotor's clever menu system. You can manually alter your own curves and levels, too, but without the complexity of high-end tools.
7. VintagerGive your photos a quick, classic film look Instagram, eh? Not only has it been an inexplicable social media hit, it's created a love of fancy photo filters the world over. For that classic vintage look on Windows you can't do much better than Vintager, a haven of filters, borders, layers and lens-glint bokehs to make your hastily-fired shots seem like they were meant to look that way. It looks simple on the surface, with a straightforward interface which gives you quick access to filters and overlays, but there's a bit more muscle in here. You can adjust highlights and shadows, muck about with the colour balance of your shots, and even dive into curves and levels. There's also a very handy photo collage mode in which you can compile up to five individually tweaked shots into a single whole.
8. Sumo PaintPowerful in-browser editing, but fewer tools than we'd like Sumo Paint is powerful, no doubt about it. It's a full-featured image editor that sits in your browser, with various artistic tools and paintbrushes thrown in for good measure. Perhaps its range of polygonal shapes and symmetry tools won't suit being plastered over your photographs, but it's high on the list of options if you're looking more on the creative end of things. There are sacrifices to be made, though. Notably the appropriately sumo wrestler-sized ads that eat up your screen space, and the slight performance hit you'll get from running it in-browser. If you want to get rid of the ads or run it on your desktop, stump up for a US$4 (about £3, $AU5.30) subscription. We struggle to recommend it too highly on this basis – while Sumo Paint does have a few tricks up its sleeve, the real magic can be found in plenty of other free apps.
9. IrfanViewAn image-viewer with added batch editing and conversion Tiny, speedy and relatively unique, IrfanView does things that others don't. Utterly free in the classic, non-laden-with-adverts sense, it's predominantly an image viewer. Given its compact size it's perfect in that role, launching quickly and unfussily and making it easy to flick through a stack of snaps quickly. But it's not limited just to showing you your pictures. IrfanView does batch processing and format conversion very well – we keep it around for that reason alone.
10. On1 Effects 10 FreeSelective filtering for advanced photo effects The 'free' suffix offers some indication of what you're getting here: On1 Effects 10 Free is a cut-down version of On1 Effects 10 proper, pulling out just a limited selection of its filters. But we're still happy to recommend it, mainly because of its methodology. Instead of being forced to apply an effect to a full image, you can use On1's Perfect Brush tool to smear that effect on the areas you're interested in enhancing, which is a great way to create a unique look. Its quick mask and refine brush tools also make masking off areas of your image particularly easy, so you can make elements pop.
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| Updated: Best free video editing software: top movie making applications [July 2016] Posted: ![Updated: Best free video editing software: top movie making applications [July 2016]](http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/features/free_video_editors/Lightworks-470-75.jpg) Introduction
It's the first law of movie-making: no matter how expensive your camera, or how skilled you are at using it, your raw footage will always be rubbish. And so, if you're looking to add a little professional polish, then installing a video editor will be essential. Commercial video editors can be very expensive, of course, but you may not have to go that far. Whether you want to trim your clips down to size, add a soundtrack or captions, apply transitions or special effects, there are some great free tools which can help - and these are the very best around. Also, if you're wondering what sort of PC you'll need to buy (or build) in order to easily crunch through heavier duty video editing tasks (or indeed image editing), then we've got you covered.
Also why not check out....
This article is updated regularly. If you have any comments, feel free to drop us a line in the comments section. Note that Serif no longer does MoviePlus starter edition and we've retired Pinnacle Videospin 2.0 as it is no longer supported. Be aware that some developers choose to package their free applications with third party software (Google Chrome for example) in order to monetise their downloads. They usually earn a few cents or pennies for each successful download. However, these can often confuse computer users as well as security applications and may have a negative impact on performance. Why does developer offer their applications for free then? Usually it is a way for them to improve their profiles amongst the target community with the belief that once a user will become accustomed to a particular package, he won't mind spending extra to get either a higher value software or an unbridled version (e.g. a trial version or one that puts a watermark). That's the concept behind shareware (or freemium) which helped bring the likes of Doom, Winzip, Paint Shop Pro and later Evernote and Spotify to the masses. Blender
Blender is best known as a 3D modelling and animation tool, but dig a little deeper and you'll also find a powerful non-linear video editor. A strong set of core tools allow you to import, cut, splice and blend video, images and audio. Blender's host of effects, filters and transitions offer more creative possibilities, while an industrial-strength video masking system gives you fine control over the results. There's real depth here, everywhere you look. The program doesn't just offer basic brightness, contrast and RGB sliders, for instance: you can also adjust colour balance, use curve corrections, tweak white balance, gamma and hue, apply tonemaps and more. Blender, which is available on Windows, Linux and Mac, isn't a consumer video editor. It doesn't have the one-click auto-fix tools you'll sometimes find elsewhere. You can't produce scrolling 3D credits by typing in a box, and there's no option to share the clip on Facebook when you've done. But if you're looking to move beyond that kind of program, to a professional editor with a stack of high-end features, then Blender deserves a closer look. Davinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve combines a versatile non-linear video editor with Hollywood-level colour correction technology. (That's no exaggeration: it really is used on movies and TV productions around the world.) The editor has a familiar, straightforward workflow. Point the program at your video folders, select a file, view it on a timeline, add transitions or apply effects: experienced users should feel at home right away. The well-designed interface makes for speedy operations, even when you're working with a lot of clips. You can quickly insert, replace, add, swap, ripple, extend or shorten edits by dragging, dropping, using the context-sensitive editing tools, the toolbar buttons or keyboard shortcuts. Elsewhere, professional multicam editing can sync your clips by audio, there are useful tools for creating movie titles, and OpenFX and AudioFX support means you can extend the program with new options and effects. That would be good on its own, but the real power here is in Resolve's colour grading. This isn't just about adjusting RGB, gamma, or playing with curves: it can automatically match or balance shots, even if they were made on different cameras. There's amazing 3D object tracking - perfect for stabilising images - and 32-bit floating-point processing ensures the best quality results. HitFilm 4 Express
HitFilm 4 Express is an interesting video editor and compositor which is crammed with professional features, yet still accessible to experienced home users. The interface gets you off to a quick start. There's a viewer, a trimmer, a media panel, timeline, effects, layers: if you've used a video editor before then you'll already understand the basic layout, and be ready to explore. HitFilm's highlight is probably its collection of 120 effects. There are automatic colour corrections, configurable blur and sharpen tools, simple keying options, and a good core set of transitions. Or you can have fun by inserting quick 3D effects into your clip, like smoke, rain, falling debris or explosions. Most of these effects are extremely configurable, and the 2D and 3D-based compositing technology allows you to customise the results further with transformations, masks and more. If this still isn't enough, you can extend the program's abilities by purchasing reasonably-priced add-ons. The "Starter Pack", for instance, gives you colour correction wheels, exposure adjustment, split-screen masking, 3D extrusion, an end credits creator, and more-- and it costs only around £8. Windows Movie Maker
Windows Movie Maker remains one of the best free video editing applications out there and certainly the most popular one on the market, regardless of its abilities and criticisms. We asked Microsoft about its plans for Windows Movie Maker in April 2016, we will report back if we hear anything from them. It remains one of Microsoft's most popular free applications and certainly one that proved to be a hit with our readers based on a survey we carried last year. The best part is that it comes free-of-charge as part of the Windows Essentials package shipped with every version of the OS bar Windows 10. It's designed with simplicity in mind and all users have to do is drag a selection of video clips and/or photos over to the app and they will immediately be displayed in the order they were added. After this it's very easy to add soundtracks, captions or credits, save it all as a video file and you can even upload it directly to YouTube, Facebook or other sites. The program has seen little wholesale change in years; sadly as Microsoft has moved away from embracing creative tools, the editing software was not part of Windows 10 when it is released last year. If you have queries about Windows Movie Maker and would like to get your questions answered, visit Microsoft's very own online community dedicated to the application. As expected, it is a fairly popular one. Kate's Video Toolkit
While there's nothing too surprising in Kate's Video Toolkit, it does provide some very, basic but useful editing features. So you can trim files or join them, link two videos with a transition, create a sequence of videos with a custom soundtrack, and there's a simple file format conversion tool as well. There are plenty of limitations, too (you can't maximise the program window to use your full screen resolution, for instance), but Kate's Video Toolkit is extremely easy to use. If you don't want to read Help files and your editing needs are simple, it could be a great choice. WeVideo
Cloud-based video editing services are growing in popularity and WeVideo is one of the go-to offerings that has a useful free-to-use version, even if it does have some fairly harsh limitations. Users gets 5GB of cloud storage plus the ability to publish five minutes of video per month to YouTube, Facebook and another six services. When it comes to uploading video to WeVideo's editing suite, you can connect it to a variety of different social media sites in order to grab clips that could otherwise be hard to reach on desktop programs. Adding files is very easy and then applying special effects is just as simple thanks to a range of different options. Whilst the five minutes of video per month is pretty stingy, WeVideo is still a useful editing program for one-off videos. Avidemux
Avidemux is a small but capable open source video editor which can help you join clips, cut them (without re-encoding), and apply a lengthy list of useful filters (Add Logo, Crop, Flip, Rotate, Resize, Sharpen, Remove Noise, tweak brightness, contrast colours and more). While this sounds basic, there are lots of options and fine controls to help make sure everything goes as you expect, and an excellent online wiki which documents everything. Overall, Avidemux is well worth a look, as long as you're happy to spend a little time learning how it all works. VSDC Free Video Editor
Non-linear video editors can take some time to learn, and VSDC Free Video Editor is no exception (a lack of useful documentation doesn't help, either). Once you get past this fairly significant hurdle it's almost plain sailing as the set of tools on offer is definitely on a par with the other free video editing suites out there. When you have completed your project there's even the chance to bring it to mobile devices or burn it to disc. Export videos as almost any file format, including MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, XVID, DIVX, FLV and MPG. You can also use still images in your project, slotting them into your video. The VSDC Free Video Editor includes numerous visual effects such as crossfade and transform. Audio effects are also available to use. MPEG Streamclip 1.2.1b6
With a download size of only 327KB, you'd expect MPEG Streamclip to be, well, a little underpowered. And yet, the program opens multiple files, DVDs or URLs of video streams; can trim, cut, copy or paste parts of your footage; and has options to rotate your footage or export the soundtrack, while its Export dialog provides more control over your finished video than some commercial products. It's not all good news - we had problems playing back some MP4 files - but if you're just looking for trimming and file conversion features then MPEG Streamclip is definitely worth a try. VirtualDub
It looks a little dated now, and only works fully with AVI files, but if that's your format of choice then VirtualDub has plenty to offer. A clean and clear interface helps you navigate through and trim your clips, there are plenty of filters - sharpen, blur, resize, rotate (at any angle, not just 90 degree increments), brightness, colour and contrast tweaks - and optional plugs add even more capabilities. Learning how to use all these functions can take a little while, as you'll need to explore some very lengthy menus to find them. But if you need an AVI processor, though, VirtualDub is still worth the effort. Free Video Editor
Formerly known as Free Video Dub, at first glance Free Video Editor looks like just another video trimming tool: step through the source movie, select the left and right points, cut that section from the video and save the results. What's different here, though, is that the program doesn't re-encode your movie, so no matter how much trimming you do, no video quality will be lost. And if you have a lengthy clip which requires a lot of work then that could be very useful indeed. Lightworks
If it's real editing power you need, then Lightworks has the biggest set of features among the free pack. Its feature-packed timeline, strong multicam support, realtime effects and smart trimming tools are so impressive, in fact, that the program has regularly been used to help produce top Hollywood movies such as Mission Impossible and Batman. Editshare's baby is constantly updated and the latest version offers users the chance to edit videos with resolutions of up to 720p, has a modern looking UI, better export controls and content management, and the best part of all is that it remains completely free-of-charge. A paid-for version is also available and the just released v12.5 rc1 adds a number of features and squashes a few known bugs as well. There is a price to pay for all this functionality, though: an extremely steep learning curve. This is not a tool for beginners, and you should expect to spend plenty of time reading the documentation before you can do anything useful at all. Freemake Video Converter
As you'll probably guess from the name, Freemake Video Converter is primarily a video conversion tool (and a very good one, too) - but it can also double as a simple video editor. Drag and drop your clips onto the program and you can arrange them into order, cut each one to suit your needs, flip or rotate individual clips and convert them to your preferred format (or even upload the finished movie directly to YouTube). And all in a polished, professional and very easy-to-use interface An extremely versatile program with a crucial disadvantage: the installer provides no way of escaping the included adware. You might like to consider Free YouTube to MP3 Converter instead.. Machete Video Editor Lite
Machete Video Editor Lite is a specialist tool with just one main function – to trim all the unwanted bits out of your AVI or WMV videos. While this sounds basic, there's a twist. The program does its work without re-encoding your files, so there's absolutely no loss of quality, no matter how many edits you make. Machete is extremely easy to use. Open a video, mark the start and end points of a section, then either hit Delete (if it's a scene you don't need) or Save (if it's something you do). There are one or two small bonus features – like the ability to save video frames as images – but Machete is really all about trimming. And if you have an AVI or WMV to slice, then it's a great choice. Wax
Wax is an interesting video compositing tool, short on editing features – and strictly AVI-only – but absolutely packed with special effects. We're not just talking about a few boring "sepia" or contrast-tweaking filters, either. Wax can map your movie onto 3D objects, display it with a professional video wall effect, create explosive or particle effects, paint over your video with custom masks, and more. The results can be impressive, which is why the program worked as a plug-in with Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas, Pure Motion EditStudio and more. (This was a while ago, of course – whether you can use it like that now depends on the individual application.) Figuring out how all this works can be a problem, but there are some great sample projects to help you get started, and if you need more assistance then check out the tutorials and user forum on the author's site. Wondershare Filmora
Some video editors are targeted at beginners, others are strictly experts-only, but Wondershare Filmora has something for everyone. The program's "Easy Mode" interface keeps complexities to a minimum. Import your clips by dragging and dropping, choose a transition style, a soundtrack, and the finished movie is generated for you. It looks great and there's no technical knowledge required at all. If you have time to explore, though, the "Advanced" interface gives you complete access to the program's many filters, transitions, overlays, lighting and split-screen effects. A host of options and settings help you fine-tune the results, and your video can be saved locally, burned to DVD, or uploaded directly to Facebook or YouTube. The catch? The trial version adds a big 'Filmora' watermark to its movies. Still, you can at least explore the program's many features, and licences are reasonably priced at $39.99 (around £25, or AU$55) for free lifetime updates. PhotoFilmStrip 2.0.0
It's not as much about editing videos as producing them, but if you'd like to create a video slideshow from your favourite digital images then Photo Filmstrip is a great place to start. We're not talking about ordinary static slideshows, either. PhotoFilmStrip animates your videos, smoothly zooming and panning across an image to follow your preferred motion path. The effects can be amazing, yet they're very easy to set up – just resize and position a starting rectangle in one frame, the finish point in another, and PhotoFilmStrip sorts out everything else for you. If you'd like to tinker anyway then there are a few settings to play with: Rotations, transition speeds, along with one or two simple effects. And when you're done, the Render option saves the results to your preferred format: MP4, FLV, AVI, MPEG or still images for easy reuse elsewhere. VideoPad Video Editor
VideoPad is a powerful video editor which stands out immediately for its wide file format support. Not only can the program import all the main video, audio, image and subtitle files, it can also capture desktop activity, and record from microphones or webcams. The program's export options are just as flexible. You're able to save movies as videos (including 3D), burn them to disc, save them to image sequence, or share your work directly on Facebook, YouTube and more. The editing process in between isn't quite as outstanding, unfortunately. The interface looks much like many other editors, but it's cluttered, with lots of tabs, menus and tiny icons and buttons to explore. If you're a novice then it'll take a while to find your way around. The free version has plenty of restrictions, too, although you shouldn't let this put you off. There's more than enough power here to be useful, and no annoying watermarks or other hassles to get in your way. Jahshaka
Jahshaka is a compact open source program with big ambitions. It wants to be a complete digital content creation system, and supports playback, 2D and 3D animation, video compositing, colour correction, editing, effects and more. The package has more than enough power to handle some very complex tasks. You can animate your image, use Chroma key to remove or manipulate objects, apply and layer a host of special effects, and generally produce results that you won't be able to achieve in any of the other packages here. Making this happen can be difficult, as Jahshaka doesn't follow the usual Windows video editor conventions. You can't drag and drop to import your source videos, the media library works differently, even the File > Open dialogs and toolbars don't work quite as you expect. If you need Jahshaka's extra functionality then it's worth persevering, though, and the developer's site has some tutorials to help you find your way around. It's not been updated in a while, unfortunately, but there's still plenty to explore. Shotcut
A popular open source video editor, Shotcut has matured into a very powerful application, with a pile of features, wide file format support, and a good set of audio and video filters. If your needs are very simple then the program could be overkill. Although not difficult to use, it's not aimed at beginners either, and the interface – packed with buttons, tabs and menu items – might intimidate the novice. More experienced editors will find a lot to like here, though: Shotcut can import almost anything (and record video, too), is more focused on practical tasks than gimmicks (fixing colour issues, sharpening your picture, stabilising shaky video), and gives you total control over the exported movie with one of the most comprehensive "Encode" tools around. ivsEdits LE
ivsEdits is a professional video editor which comes packed with high-end features: HD, 2K and 4K support, live multicamera mixing, real-time video I/O from various external devices, and a whole lot more. The free version has some restrictions – in particular, import is mostly restricted to AVI or MOV videos – but if you can live with that, there's plenty of power left. You get 3D transitions, cropping, video borders and page effects, sharpening and colour tweaks, brightness and contrast adjustments, even a capable Chroma key (green screen) tool if you're feeling particularly creative. ivsEdits isn't always as reliable as it should be, and the documentation isn't great either, but if you need the program's advanced functionality then it's certainly worth taking for a spin. |
| Updated: Why Apple buying Tidal makes sense Posted:  Apple is reportedly in talks to buy Tidal, the music streaming service run by iconic rapper Jay Z. Unnamed sources familiar with the matter tell the Wall Street Journal the talks are ongoing and may not result in a deal. A Tidal spokesperson denies the company is in talks with Apple. But if discussions are taking place, why would Apple want to buy Tidal when it has its own Apple Music subscription service already? By all accounts, Apple Music isn't doing too badly for itself. One obvious reason is for Tidal's technology. It's currently the only music subscription service that offers CD-quality "Hi-Fi" streaming for $19.99/£19.99/AU$23.99 a month. Of Tidal's paltry 3 million subscribers, almost half of them pay for the Hi-Fi subscription, pointing to a passionate user base willing to chip in for better sound. Apple could tap into Tidal's audio tech to offer a higher tier for its own streaming service, charging more than its standard $9.99/£9.99/AU$11.99 monthly subscription for those willing to pay it. Star powerTech and higher subscription prices aren't all Apple has to gain. It also likely has its eye on Tidal for its exclusives and influence in the always-tricky music industry. Jay Z successfully brought on big names like Rihanna and Kanye West to the service, scoring exclusive streaming rights to boot. Tidal even houses exclusive video content, like Daft Punk's Electroma film and The White Stripes' first TV appearance. Not surprisingly, Beyoncé's Lemonade was a Tidal exclusive, too. For Apple, having big stars onboard means more influence over the music biz when it comes to rights. Apple Music has already nailed down its own exclusives, like Drake's Views album, but Tidal would bring even more offerings to the table. The ability to tap artists would also be a huge boon for Apple as it looks to further its business as a lifestyle brand, not just a tech company. For its part, while it's carved out a niche in the crowded streaming market, Tidal has struggled to gain traction. Though it's managed to bring on 3 million subscribers, executive shakeups and an industry dominated by the likes of Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, and countless others have likely left it with few options but to look for an acquisition. Today's rumor comes just a year after Apple launched its music streaming service, which counts around 15 million subscribers, roughly half of Spotify's numbers. Adding Tidal's members wouldn't boost Apple Music's users significantly, though exclusives would likely draw in more as time goes on. At any rate, a potential Tidal buy certainly doesn't help Apple's case that it's not trying to snuff out competition. Oops. |
| Is Apple keeping you from the best Spotify experience possible? Posted:  Music streaming service Spotify claims Apple is intentionally making difficult to update its iPhone app and holding back new features. The updated app reportedly avoids Apple's payment system altogether, which is permitted, but Apple doesn't allow the use of an alternative payment system within the app. Spotify sent a letter to Apple's top lawyer this week, bashing the iPhone maker for its anti-competitive business model. The letter, sent by Spotify general counsel Horacio Gutierrez to Apple's legal representative Bruce Sewell, blasted Apple for its App Store subscription limitations, according to Recode. "[This] continues a troubling pattern of behavior by Apple to exclude and diminish the competitiveness of Spotify on iOS and as a rival to Apple Music, particularly when seen against the backdrop of Apple's previous anti-competitive conduct aimed at Spotify […] we cannot stand by as Apple uses the App Store approval process as a weapon to harm competitors," wrote Gutierrez. Spotify dominates the music subscription service world with over 30 million paying subscribers. Apple Music, on the other hand, has half of that. A Spotify spokesperson declined to comment but verified that Recode's story is accurate. Apple shoots itself in the footWhile Apple has the right to set rules for its App Store, it's easy to see these rules are making its own products worse. Spotify isn't the first company to fight back against the cut Apple takes of app purchases. Amazon removed the ability to purchase books within its Kindle and ComiXology apps, instead pointing users to make purchases in Safari. It's a Band-Aid on a real problem. Like most app stores, including Google Play and Amazon, Apple takes a 30% cut from any in-app purchases, including subscriptions. The main difference is that Google and Amazon allow alternative payment systems within apps. This means Android users can sign up for Spotify using PayPal or a credit card instead of using the Google Wallet system. Similar services, like Google Play Movies & TV, are subjected to the same sub-par user experience on iOS because of Apple's anti-competitive rules. You can browse and watch your purchased content, but you can't buy anything within the app itself. Instead, you'll have to do that in Safari. Make Apple Music better, not competitors worseIt makes sense for Apple to prioritize its own apps and services over the competition, especially on its own platform. But by restricting third-party developers and services, Apple is making its own product worse. Users who don't want to live exclusively within Apple's ecosystem are left with a limited user experience, and Spotify users won't likely jump to Apple Music because they can't purchase a subscription. Instead of making its competitors worse, Apple should make Apple Music better. It's not that hard for a Spotify user to hop into Safari and sign up for the service. Personally, it's annoying, but it's not going to stop me from using the services that I want to use.
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