It will place 10% of all sales on Android in depot
We’re only a few days away from Google’s new Play Store payment policy coming into effect, almost two years after the company first announced it. The last few weeks have seen plenty of drama, especially from major publishers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble trying to avoid new fees
The latest battle between Google and Epic started last month, when the company behind Fortnite approached Bandcamp – which it recently bought – announcing that it would be necessary to stop in-app sales under the new Play Store policy. Basically, the company noted that even with the 10% rate that Google has set for apps like Bandcamp, it would not be able to continue the business. Effectively, the app would be similar to its iOS version, which currently lacks in-app purchases for digital songs to avoid giving Apple a cut.
Now Epic has announced a kind of ceasefire in this particular battle – at least for now. Under a legal agreement, Bandcamp will continue to use its current in-app payment system, while 10% of all revenue raised through Android sales is blocked, awaiting Epic’s legal battle with Google as it draws to a close.
The company is still formulating its struggles for fee-free payment structures on Android as a battle on behalf of artists, though it seems clear that its own bottom line is also being considered. After all, Bandcamp takes 15% of everything musicians do on its platform, and there is no indication that these fees will disappear anytime soon.
You can read the court’s archive in its entirety on Bandcamp’s website.
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