Apple Removing iOS and Mac Apps from Affiliate Program (apple.com)

In a post, Apple announced the following changes: With the launch of the new App Store on both iOS and macOS and their increased methods of app discovery, we will be removing apps from the affiliate program. Starting on October 1st, 2018, commissions for iOS and Mac apps and in-app content will be removed from the program. All other content types (music, movies, books, and TV) remain in the affiliate program. Stephen Hackett, a long time Apple blogger and podcaster, said, "This is not totally surprising after Apple cut the rate for in-app purchases last year. However, this is going to hurt a lot of people in the media ecosystem around Apple." The post includes thoughts of several developers.

Comments

Expected

[AlexanKulbashian]

This is part 5 of the installment in the series "Apple takes a steaming dump on their partners and affiliates"

Have to get that trillion dollar valuation somehow

[xack]

By cost cutting as much as possible, this is just a follow on from where they can't even bother to put a proper cooling system in their new macbook pros, making them throttle all day.

Re:Have to get that trillion dollar valuation some

[DontBeAMoran]

Never mind the cooling, they can't even put a proper keyboard in their laptops.

Re:Have to get that trillion dollar valuation some

[joh]

You mean "make them throttle just as much as the competition with the fans being half as loud".

Anyway, this will cut the affiliate spam considerably. Whenever you google for some iOS app or a review or whatever you get endless lists of automatically generated or quickly thrown together app lists that are there just for earning 7% of the app's price by making you click through from that page to the app store.

On the other hand this also will hit smaller developers who at least managed to get a small kickback by directing people from their own website to the store. Apple should definitely continue to allow this.

You expected less?

[Khyber]

Apple is known for closing ecosystems and financially strangling them.

Welcome to the reality distortion field, still working as strong as ever.