Invisible Choir

Apple, Inc and Patreon IOS In-App Billing

Added 2024-08-15 21:53:06 +0000 UTC

In a nutshell... Apple, Inc is getting (even) greedier...

Beginning in November, 2024 - Apple, Inc is requiring that Patreon use their in-app purchasing system for all new subscriptions initiated through the Apple/IOS Patreon Mobile Application. This means that starting in November, any new Invisible Choir subscriptions purchased in the Apple IOS Patreon App will be subject to Apple's 30% App Store Fee.

Patreon has recommended that Creators like us do one of two things:

Automatically increase in-app prices (within the Apple IOS Patreon App) 30% to cover the fee by passing along the cost to you -or-
Do nothing (keep the subscription price the same) and absorb the 30% loss, in addition to Patreon's existing fee structure (which total roughly 8-12%, in addition to income taxes paid by individual Creators), which by conservative estimates, would mean Creators are only "taking home" approximately 23% - 33% of every dollar collected from new subscriptions initiated within the Patreon APPLE/IOS Mobile App beginning in November, 2024 (before paying employees).

On principle alone, I am not planning to increase the subscription price within the Apple/IOS Patreon app, effectively passing off the cost to you - punishing our loyal listeners while further padding Apple's pockets. Instead - if you wish to subscribe to Invisible Choir via Patreon in the future (I do NOT believe this impacts current/continuing subscribers), and want to listen through the Apple IOS Patreon Mobile application - I recommend you subscribe through the actual website at www.patreon.com/invisiblechoir using any web browser- and then log into your Patreon IOS mobile app on Apple Devices to access your content/listen. You can also copy and paste your private RSS feed into Apple Podcasts and many other podcast listening apps the same as you always have. Signing up via the Patreon website versus in the Apple Patreon App will effectively circumvent the 30% fee that we will otherwise automatically begin paying for every new subscription generated in the Patreon IOS app beginning in November.

Thank you for your ongoing patience and business as we continue navigating a space that is fast becoming less and less creator-friendly for independent content creators.

-Michael