Spotify gives devs mobile app store blessing

Spotify is warming up to third-party developers, dropping its limits on how apps built using its mobile SDKs can be distributed and even monetized. The news means that Android and iOS coders can now release their wares through Google Play and the App Store, while also supporting things like embedded advertising, subscriptions, and more. Still, it's not quite a free-for-all, and exactly what you can do depends on how exactly you use Spotify's catalog.

Mobile apps that are non-streaming support monetization. That can range from the traditional paid-download model, through ads and promotions.

However, apps that stream tracks in full can't be monetized in that way, though they can still be released through the iOS and Android app stores.

Spotify relaunched its SDK back in March, replacing the previous APIs with a far more comprehensive version that supports search, playlists, metadata lookup, and audio playback.

Recently, we've seen some examples of how the backend access could be used. A deal with Uber, for instance, connects users' Spotify accounts with their ride-sharing account, meaning they can stream their playlists while in the car.

SOURCE Spotify