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Economist Group Concludes Apple’s App Store Ecosystem Is Responsible for Facilitating $1.1 Trillion in Commerce

Today, Apple released the results of an independent study of the App Store economy by the economists at Analysis Group. According to the report, it was supported by Apple, but the conclusions and opinions expressed in it are those of the Analysis Group alone.

If you’re thinking, ‘Wait, I thought Apple just issued a press release about the app economy,’ you’re mostly right. That was the same group of economists reporting specifically on the success of small app developers, whereas this report extends beyond apps to other transactions facilitated by apps.

What the report shows is that the App Store economy is far larger than just apps. Along with app sales and subscriptions, the Analysis Group looked at the sale of physical goods, services, and advertising through apps downloaded from the App Store. What the results of the study show is that this more broadly-defined market accounted for about $1.1 trillion in sales in 2022, an enormous number by any measure.

The study includes some interesting insights into the App Store and the economy surrounding it:

  • The broader App Store ecosystem grew 29%, but digital goods and services, which is a category that includes more than just App Store sales, only grew 2% in 2022
  • Over 90% of billings connected to the App Store occurred outside of it
  • Ride-sharing and travel sales accounted for a big part of the App Store ecosystem’s growth in 2022
  • Other categories that saw big increases are grocery sales, food delivery and pickup services, and general retail sales

It’s worth considering the broader purpose of this study and the results that Apple has highlighted. The message of the report is that the impact of the App Store extends beyond apps, which is accurate. From that broader perspective the fees paid to Apple as a percentage of overall sales are lower, which is an argument the company will surely make to regulators and in antitrust disputes. Whether that perspective is relevant or persuasive in those contexts remains to be seen.

In any event, the App Store drives a remarkably large engine of commerce, the likes of which are reminiscent of the Internet itself. That’s an enormous accomplishment, of which Apple is understandably proud. However, it’s also important to remember that it’s an engine to which just one company holds the keys.

Announcement: MacStories’ WWDC 2023 Coverage

Nothing beats the anticipation of WWDC. After months of speculation and rumors, we’ll finally get a glimpse of what’s in store for the fall OS season. This year is more exciting than ever, with rumors that Apple will unveil a mixed reality headset and the first new OS since watchOS to drive it.

This WWDC is also special for us at MacStories because it’s the first time we’ll have our full team in Cupertino since 2019. Federico, Alex, and I will all be in town to cover the events for the extended MacStories audience, with coverage on MacStories, for Club MacStories members, and with special episodes of AppStories. It’s going to be a busy week, so we thought we’d preview our coverage for you and introduce you to this year’s sponsor: Setapp.

As always, we’ll have in-depth coverage of the keynote, Platforms State of the Union presentation, Apple Design Awards, and sessions. We’ll cover Apple’s announcements, dig into the details of announced OS updates and any new hardware, and roundups of everything happening throughout the week. You’ll also get the kind of details that aren’t widely reported as the team combs through session videos, product pages, developer videos, social media, and other sources.

Before WWDC even gets started, we’ll be hosting a special live episode of AppStories in the Club MacStories+ Discord community for Club MacStories+ and Club Premier members today, May 31st, at 10:00 AM Eastern US time. For Club members who can’t join us live, we’ll release the audio in the AppStories podcast feed on Sunday for AppStories+ subscribers and the morning of the beginning of WWDC for everyone else. We’ve also created a dedicated WWDC 2023 channel in our Discord community to discuss the conference this week and throughout the conference.

We’ll also be doing bonus WWDC episodes of AppStories all week. Our extended AppStories coverage has been a big hit the past few years, so we’ll be at it again, starting with recaps of the keynote and Platforms State of the Union presentations next Tuesday, followed by episodes that dig in deeper into everything that’s announced. We also have a couple of surprises lined up for listeners, so be sure to follow along all week.

Last year’s recording of these AppStories episodes in our Club MacStories+ Discord community was a big hit, so we’ll be doing that again this year. It’s a great way to learn the latest in real time and an opportunity to ask us questions. We’ll be releasing the AppStories+ and AppStories versions of these episodes simultaneously due to the time constraints of WWDC, but the Q&A segments will be released as bonus content for AppStories+ subscribers only. The precise schedule of our recordings is still up in the air, but keep an eye out in Discord for details during the conference.

To join the fun in Discord, sign up for a Club MacStories+ or Club Premier account at plus.club. Club Premier is our all-access pass to everything MacStories, including AppStories+, our extended, ad-free version of the show that is published a day early.

Club MacStories+

Club Premier

You can follow along with all of the MacStories and AppStories coverage on our WWDC 2023 hub or subscribe to the dedicated WWDC 2023 RSS feed.

Finally, we’ll send a special issue of MacStories Weekly to Club MacStories members one day later than usual on Saturday, June 11th. The issue will be packed with WWDC-themed features, our thoughts on everything revealed, and giveaways.

If you’re not a member of Club MacStories, you can join here.

Of course, we’re working on some surprises for the week, too, so keep a close eye on the MacStories, Club MacStories, and AppStories websites.

To recap, stay tuned to MacStories, AppStories, and the Club for a full week of WWDC coverage:

This Week

Today

  • At 10:00 AM Eastern US time, a special live recording of AppStories in our Club MacStories+ Discord community, which will also be released in the AppStories+ and AppStories podcast feeds on Sunday, June 4th and Monday, June 5th.

Next Week

Monday - Friday

  • Continuous Keynote, Platforms State of the Union, and session coverage on MacStories

Tuesday - Friday

  • Daily episodes of AppStories covering all of Apple’s announcements, big and small
  • Live recording of three shows Monday through Wednesday in the Club MacStories+ Discord

Saturday

We’re all excited for next week and hope you’ll join us for the festivities.

You can follow all of our WWDC coverage through our WWDC 2023 hub or subscribe to the dedicated WWDC 2023 RSS feed.

Last Week, on Club MacStories: iPad Stand, Keyboard, and Mouse Recommendations, AppStories Live, and Rebuilding Workflows

Because Club MacStories now encompasses more than just newsletters, we’ve created a guide to the past week’s happenings:

MacStories Weekly: Issue 370

Federico's keyboard and mouse setup.

Federico’s keyboard and mouse setup.

MacStories Unwind: The Last of Us, Game and TV Show

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This week on MacStories Unwind, Federico and John are joined by Jonathan Reed for our monthly Club MacStories+ AV Club selection. This month, Club MacStories + and Premier members chose videogame and TV show, The Last of Us, which we discussed for a live audience in the Club MacStories Discord community.

SaneBox – Clean up Your Inbox Today and Keep It That Way Forever

The Last of Us, Videogame and TV Show

MacStories Unwind+

We deliver MacStories Unwind+ to Club MacStories subscribers ad-free and early with high bitrate audio every week.

To learn more about the benefits of a Club MacStories subscription, visit our Plans page.

Last Week, on Club MacStories: Task Manager Overload, a Things Web Clipper, and the Need for Migration Assistant for Apps

Because Club MacStories now encompasses more than just newsletters, we’ve created a guide to the past week’s happenings:

MacStories Weekly: Issue 369

2023 ADA Finalists Announced

As has been the case the past couple of years, Apple has announced the finalists in the running for its annual Apple Design Awards. The awards ceremony revealing the winners will be held during WWDC at 6:30 pm Pacific on June 6th.

The finalists have been divided into six categories that include six finalists each:

Inclusivity

Delight and Fun

Interaction

Social Impact

Visuals and Graphics

Innovation

The selections include a broad selection of games and apps, including some apps from smaller developers like Knotwords, Afterplace, and Gentler Streak, as well as titles from bigger publishers.

This is the third year in a row that Apple has announced the finalists in advance, which I like a lot. Winning an ADA is a big achievement for any developer, but it’s also nice to know who the finalists are because it’s quite an honor among the many apps that could have been chosen too.

MacStories Unwind: Coming to America and Roasting Koroks

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This week on MacStories Unwind, I put Federico’s knowledge of American geography to the test, and we follow up on what sets The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom apart from Breath of the Wild.

Unplugged

Coming to America

  • Coming to America is a recurring MacStories Unwind quiz where John tests Federico’s knowledge of American geography, history, culture, and more.
  • Geography
    • What States would you pass through driving from Chicago, Illinois to Charlotte, North Carolina?
    • Name three states that start with ‘W’
      • If you were in West Virginia, how would you get to East Virginia?

Weekly Picks

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

MacStories Unwind+

We deliver MacStories Unwind+ to Club MacStories subscribers ad-free and early with high bitrate audio every week.

To learn more about the benefits of a Club MacStories subscription, visit our Plans page.

AppStories, Episode 329 – Our watchOS 10 and tvOS 17 Wishes→

This week on AppStories, we explain the changes to watchOS and tvOS that we’d like to see made in 2023.

[Subscribe here.](https://appstories.net/plans)

Subscribe here.

On AppStories+, troubleshooting hardware and software issues.

We deliver AppStories+ to subscribers with bonus content, ad-free, and at a high bitrate early every week.

To learn more about the benefits included with an AppStories+ subscription, visit our Plans page, or read the AppStories+ FAQ.

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Apple Adds Live Music Features to Maps and Music

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

Today, Apple has launched new Apple Maps and Music features for live music fans. Apple Maps has added more than 40 Guides highlighting over 10 venues worldwide. In addition to editorial content about the music scenes in the featured cities, users can learn more about each venue and its upcoming shows using features that the Shazam app incorporated last spring, using information from Bandsintown.

Apple Music Guides.

Apple Music Guides.

In the Music app, Apple has created a new category called Set Lists that offers information about major artists’ concerts, along with a playlist of songs they’re playing on tour. Apple’s press release says users can browse upcoming shows of the artists spotlighted in Set Lists using the same Shazam tools that power the similar Apple Maps feature too.

Set Lists. Source: Apple.

Set Lists. Source: Apple.

The new Apple Music Guides announced today include Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York City, San Francisco, Berlin, London, Paris, Vienna, Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney, and Mexico City. To view the guides, you can visit apple.co/MusicVenues. Set Lists are beginning to appear in Apple Music, too, although as of publication, I’ve only been able to locate them via search. Later, you should be able to browse all Set Lists at apple.co/setlists too.

It’s fantastic to see Apple Music and Maps expanding into live music. These sorts of features are something that Federico and I have been hoping Apple would implement for years, and I hope with time, we’ll see more guides for more cities around the world as well as a growing collection of Set Lists.