Apple's iOS App Store hits 100B downloads, pays out $30B to developers
In an update to developers at WWDC, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that the company recently exceeded 100 billion downloads at the iOS App Store, and has generated $30 billion for developers.
Cook also played a promotional video on the impact of the App Store, which claimed that the average person has 119 apps, and that some 850 apps are downloaded each second. Making an appearance in the video were several celebrities such astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson and film director J.J. Abrams.
The App Store first launched in 2008 alongside iPhone OS 2.0 and the iPhone 3G. Since then it has come to other devices including the iPod touch and iPad, and evolved considerably in terms of layout, features, and organization. Most recently, Apple revamped the Games section to focus on curated lists, making it harder for less ethical developers to exploit ranking algorithms.
Apple also used the keynote to announced things like iOS 9, with public transit directions and iPad multitasking, plus the open-source Swift 2 programming language, and an evolved Apple Pay.
Cook also played a promotional video on the impact of the App Store, which claimed that the average person has 119 apps, and that some 850 apps are downloaded each second. Making an appearance in the video were several celebrities such astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson and film director J.J. Abrams.
The App Store first launched in 2008 alongside iPhone OS 2.0 and the iPhone 3G. Since then it has come to other devices including the iPod touch and iPad, and evolved considerably in terms of layout, features, and organization. Most recently, Apple revamped the Games section to focus on curated lists, making it harder for less ethical developers to exploit ranking algorithms.
Apple also used the keynote to announced things like iOS 9, with public transit directions and iPad multitasking, plus the open-source Swift 2 programming language, and an evolved Apple Pay.
Comments
"...and has generated $30 billion for developers...."
Ah, Apple keeps 30% and developers get 70%. Although there are industries and companies that work that way Apple does not rape the developers like that.
That means Apple has collected around $10 billion. Like what?
"...and has generated $30 billion for developers...."
Ah, Apple keeps 30% and developers get 70%. Although there are industries and companies that work that way Apple does not rape the developers like that.
Google and Amazon charge the same 70/30 radio. Any Free Apps, where there are a whole lot, well 30% of FREE is ZERO!!!
According to one survey of 252 iOS game developers, the top 20% of developers earn 97% of the revenue, and the bottom 80% of developers earn only 3% of the revenue. Furthermore, it shows that 50% of developers made less than $3,000 lifetime revenue on the App Store, only 25% of developers made more than $30,000 lifetime total revenue, and 25% of developers have made less than $200.
As to which developers are making the most money, the survey shows that it is not individual but rather larger developers:
"in general, larger groups of developers are able to create games that earn more money. Wagering a guess, this is perhaps because they are able to create games that are larger in scope, more technically interesting, and more polished, because they have more people to work on the game and provide input into its improvement".
Another survey (not just iOS) of over 8,000 developers shows that:
"17% of developers who are interested in making money generate no revenue related to apps at all. A further 18% of developers make less than $100 per month and the next 17%, bringing us to a total of 52%, make less than $1000 per month".
One conclusion the survey reveals is that "the app economy is maturing and larger companies are finding much better ways of making money with apps".
With different data sets and sizes other surveys will provide different results but likely lead to the same conclusion: most developers aren’t making a lot of money selling on the App Store, while a few are making a lot of money, and most are not sustainable businesses.
http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/2011/09/28/results-ios-game-revenue-survey/
https://www.developereconomics.com/reports/developer-economics-q1-2015/
With different data sets and sizes other surveys will provide different results but likely lead to the same conclusion: most developers aren’t making a lot of money selling on the App Store, while a few are making a lot of money, and most are not sustainable businesses.
I suggest that is most likely because most developers are not doing it as business.
They wrote an app and got it into the App store and happen to collect a few $$ for it is simply a bonus for them
I suggest that is most likely because most developers are not doing it as business.
They wrote an app and got it into the App store and happen to collect a few $$ for it is simply a bonus for them
There is some truth to that, more so for game developers than other app developers. The first survey of iOS game developers notes that "only about 1/3 of respondents consider themselves full-time independent game developers. Over half the respondents are part-time indies, hobbyists, or students”, with half the developers working by themselves. It also noted that "over 93% of respondents have 5 or fewer developers working on their games”.
The second larger survey of app developers (not just games) provides a more detailed, segmented breakdown. For iOS developers:
6% Hobbyists - moonlighters building their own apps to learn and have fun.
17% Explorers - Independent developers gaining experience as a side project to seize on future opportunities.
31% Hunters - experienced developers building an app business and focused on the money.
20% Guns For Hire - seasoned pros developing apps on commission.
10% Product Extenders - companies using apps to promote and extend a non-mobile product or brand.
4% Digital Content Publishers - developer teams using mobile apps to monetize digital content inventory.
5% Gold Seekers - mobile startups aiming to hit VC gold.
7% Enterprise It - CIOs and IT mangers using apps to increase organizational efficiency and reduce costs.
60% of iOS developers, The Hunters, Guns For Hire, Digital Content Publishers, and Gold Seekers, stated one of their motivations is to build a business/successful business. The survey notes that "there are many more money- motivated developers, with the Hunters and Guns for Hire together making up 51% of all developers on the platform”.
There is also a difference in revenue for developers depending whether they target the consumer or enterprise segment: "43% of enterprise app developers make more than $10K per month versus 19% of consumer app developers reaching the same revenue level”.
One of the conclusions the survey draws is that "As the market has matured it has become painfully difficult for a small developer to be noticed. Also, the quality and functionality bars have gone up to the point where it’s hard for a solo developer or very small team to compete in the consumer app market”.
"...and has generated $30 billion for developers...."
Ah, Apple keeps 30% and developers get 70%. Although there are industries and companies that work that way Apple does not rape the developers like that.
Although the 30/70 split is true I never posted this. I know the pesky poster used my account and know real harm done but it has my name and I prefer to speak for myself. (BTW: Changed password immediately!)