Clearly, things are happening on Musi’s side. The app which had more downloads than Deezer, Amazon Music and Pandora was recently ousted from the App Store, after a complaint from Google.
In return, Musi, which relies on YouTube content, filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming the company unfairly removed the app from the App Store.
Musi fights against Google
According to Musi, Apple made this decision following a five-word complaint from YouTube, claiming a “violation of YouTube’s terms of service”, without providing a real explanation. Musi claims that YouTube falsely claimed that the app was unresponsive to attempts to resolve the dispute, even though Musi provided evidence to the contrary. Launched in 2016, Musi streams public content from YouTube while displaying its own ads, which has raised questions about the legality of the service and artist compensation. It also allowed you to listen to YouTube in the background, making it one of our favorite apps of 2020.
Musi acknowledges that its streams come from YouTube, but says it complies with the Google-owned service’s terms of service by using its own interface instead of YouTube’s API. Despite this, YouTube has long expressed concerns about the app, accusing it of accessing private APIs, using YouTube’s service for commercial purposes, and violating its advertising policies. In 2021, Musi reportedly responded to these concerns by clarifying that it does not access non-public data or sell ads on pages containing only YouTube content. However, YouTube refiled its complaint to Apple in 2023, bypassing Musi and prompting Apple to remove the app.
Apple finds itself accused
Musi argues that Apple unfairly sided with YouTube and removed the app without good reason, in violation of the developer agreement which requires the Apple company to have a reasonable belief of intellectual property infringement. Musi, which had 66 million downloads before its removal, is now suing to have its app reinstated, claiming its reputation and finances have suffered irreparable damage.
The application, exclusively available on the App Store, has also broken the hearts of many users, who find themselves without access. On Redditthe Musi community remains optimistic about a return, although Google can unilaterally decide its fate. Musi maintains its removal was unfounded and is seeking damages, as well as a permanent injunction to restore its presence on the App Store.
The link no longer works at present, but it is therefore possible that it will return soon… We will of course keep you informed.
