Apple Music down as customers complain about not being able to stream tunes

29 January 2024 , 19:10

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Apple and Apple Music are down (Image: Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock)

Apple services including Apple Music and the iTunes Store experienced an outage today with thousands of users worldwide unable to use them, it is being reported.

According to Apple's system status page, ‌Apple Music‌ and the iTunes Store experienced an outage. At the time, Apple said that users may be experiencing "intermittent issues" with the services.

Over 3,500 users reported they were unable to access Apple Music and stream music today, according to Downdetector.com. A user wrote: "Can’t stream any music. Only play downloaded. Apple servers say everything is up… maybe it’s behind?" "not letting me listen to anything," said another.

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Apple and Apple Music are down as customer say they can't stream tunes

The outage on both Apple Music and the iTunes Store lasted around 27 minutes from 1:20pm until 1:47pm EST. Apple said that "Some users were affected" and that "Users may have experienced intermittent issues with this service." The problem has now been resolved.

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Meanwhile, Apple's AppleCare on Device also had an outage from 1:30pm until 2:06pm EST today, according to the company's system status page. "All users were affected," the company said as "AppleCare purchase was temporarily unavailable." This outage has also been resolved now.

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Although unrelated to the news, the outage comes after Apple announced a plan to make significant changes to its iPhone system in Europe, in response to upcoming European regulations that aim to provide consumers with more choices for app stores and offer app developers alternatives to paying fees to Apple. The changes, set to take effect in March, include reducing fees for developers and allowing iPhone users in Europe to use app stores other than Apple's own.

For the first time, Apple will permit developers to use alternative payment systems, potentially allowing them to earn more money and lower their prices. However, Apple is concerned that opening up the iPhone to outside sources may expose users to security risks. The company is making these changes to comply with the European Digital Markets Act (DMA), effective March 7.

An Apple Music and iTunes Store outage has now been resolved (AFP/Getty Images)

In Europe, Apple will decrease its commission on in-app transactions to 10-17% for developers within its payment system, and it won't collect commissions on transactions through alternative payment systems. This is a contrast to the U.S., where Apple will continue to charge commissions ranging from 15-30% for in-app transactions within its payment system.

While Apple won't charge for in-app transactions outside its payment system in Europe, it will introduce a "core technology fee" for installing apps on the iPhone, including alternative app stores authorized by Apple. Critics, including Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, have ridiculed Apple's changes in Europe as "malicious compliance."

The impact on Apple's revenue remains uncertain, but investors did not show significant concern. Spotify, a major competitor, plans to advocate for similar changes in markets outside Europe, criticizing Apple's rules as restrictive. Apple will also make it easier for users to switch default options, such as browsers, to comply with upcoming regulations in Europe.

Vassia Barba