App Store developers have generated $320 billion to date, Apple says

Apple said in an update today that the company has paid app developers $320 billion since the App Store’s 2008 launch. Additionally, the company said it currently has more than 900 million paid subscriptions across Apple services, with App Store subscriptions making up a “significant” portion of that figure.

In the company’s 2021 update, the amount that App Store developers earned from the platform’s launch to 2021 was announced as $260 billion, meaning that the company distributed an estimated $60 billion to developers in 2022. 

The iPhone-maker also mentioned that the App Store receives more than 650 million weekly visits from people in 175 different countries and regions, yet it still manages to offer fresh experiences. 

“This year, more people than ever visited the App Store to discover and download the world’s most creative and cutting-edge apps and games in a safe and trusted environment,” Apple said. 

In the update, the company highlighted the success of new apps and games such as BeReal, Apex Legends Mobile, and Dot’s Home.

Apple also shared some statistics with its other services. The company said, in 2022, the Apple Arcade catalog expanded with more than 50 new titles, and also released over 300 updates and expansions for many existing games.

The company also noted that monthly Spatial Audio listeners have more than tripled since its launch, with more than 80 percent of subscribers worldwide benefiting from the experience, while monthly playback on Spatial Audio has increased by over 1,000%. 2022 was also a milestone for Shazam, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary of service with 70 billion all-time Shazams.

The company also said that a record number of purchases were made using Apple Pay worldwide during the 2022 holiday shopping season, though it did not share a clear figure. Apple Pay is currently available to millions of merchants in nearly 70 countries and territories and works with over 10,000 banks and network partners worldwide.

2022 has been a tough year for the App Store, with lawsuits and antitrust rulings aimed at limiting its market power. In September, Apple faced an antitrust complaint in Mexico over their app store payment commissions. The Competition and Market Authority of the United Kingdom also announced to launch a market investigation into Apple and Google’s mobile browser dominance in November. 

Last year, Apple also had to make compromises on a number of its App Store operations. In June, the company had to allow apps distributed in South Korea to use third-party payment options. It also had to abide by a Dutch antitrust ruling that authorized the use of third-party payments by dating apps.