Apple: Section IV - Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions in regards to your Apple developer account and iOS / tvOS applications:

1) What is required to set up my iOS / tvOS application?

2) Is this going to cost me money?

  • Yes! Apple charges an annual fee of $99 for as long as your developer account remains active.
  • This is an annual membership. If you allow your membership to expire, Apple will remove your app from the App Store until the account is reactivated.
  • We recommend opting into automatic membership renewal by turning on the "Auto-renew" toggle in the “Membership details” section of your account. 
    • Note: If you enrolled through the Apple Developer app, your membership will automatically renew.

3) I have to invite Vimeo to my Apple developer account?

  • Yes! This will allow your applications to be published under your business name and greatly increase visibility within the App Store. 
  • If you intend to have in-application subscriptions, this allows payment to be sent directly to you! More information can be found here.

4) Can my users subscribe within the application?

  • Yes! Your users will be able to subscribe to your service directly within the application on their iOS or tvOS devices. 
  • Users who purchased on your website or alternative application will have cross-platform access their subscription by using their login credentials created at the point of purchase to access content and vice-versa.

5) How much does Apple take per in-application subscription purchase?

  • During a subscriber’s first year of service, Apple charges 30% of the revenue from their subscription per month/year. Through the second year and beyond, this percentage drops to 15%. Further information on Apple’s auto-renewable subscriptions can be found here.

6) How can I track in-application sales?

  • Apple keeps in-app subscription sales information detailed within their ‘Payments and Financial Reports’ section within App Store Connect. Further information can be found here.
  • You would be able to determine how many users are purchasing on their iOS / tvOS device by exporting a ‘Customers’ .csv from within your CMS. In-application sales and revenue, however, are not tracked via your Vimeo OTT CMS dashboard.

7) Are there any device limitations?

  • Yes, unfortunately, older products and operating systems are unable to receive the necessary updates to continue offering a quality user-experience that your audience deserves. Vimeo OTT iOS / tvOS applications are supported on the below operating system versions (subject to change as newer operating systems are released):
    • iOS (iPhone/iPad) - Applications are supported on devices running iOS 12.6+
    • tvOS (Apple TV) - Applications are supported on Apple TV models running tvOS 13+

8) How will my users find my application?

  • Users will be able to search for your iOS / tvOS application in the Apple App Store.

9) Is my application free to download for users?

  • Yes! Your application will be free to download by users in the Apple App Store and can support in-application subscriptions to your Vimeo OTT service.

10) How can I track my application's performance?

  • Apple keeps their analytics in App Store Connect, under the ‘App Analytics’ icon. This data is not exposed in the OTT CMS platform.

11) How can I promote my application within the Apple App Store?

Once your applications are available for your review, you should begin to consider how to frame the metadata surrounding your store listing. You should want your application to be easily surfaced for users. Here are a few priorities to keep in mind:

  • Optimize Your Keywords - Arguably the most important aspect to consider, keywords will be the words and phrases that people navigating the App Store will use to search for your application. Apple provides a handy guide on best practices, located here and more about how to optimize for app store search here. 
  • Have a Catchy Description - Generally, users are not inclined to select ‘More’ when viewing your application description. Try to have the first paragraph catch the user’s eye and give them a reason as to why your application stands out above the rest.
  • Have a Striking App Icon - Similar to the above, your application icon should be something that makes a user stop scrolling and start clicking-through to read more!
  • Apple Search Ads - If interested in having your application appear at the top of search results within the App Store, you should consider enrolling within the Apple Search Ads program. You can find out more information on the program here and reach out to Apple Developer Support here to learn more.