If you were one of Musi’s 66 million users, you might have noticed it suddenly vanished from the App Store in September 2024. Musi, a popular “YouTube wrapper” app, has been around since 2016, offering an alternative way to stream music for free using YouTube’s vast content library.
For years, Musi allowed users to make playlists, listen to music, and enjoy an audio-only mode without needing a YouTube Premium account. But now, Musi’s absence has left a lot of fans wondering what’s gone wrong with the beloved app.
Musi’s rise: A free music alternative
Back in 2016, Musi launched with a unique approach—delivering YouTube’s content through its own simplified interface. Instead of charging users or restricting music access, Musi generated revenue by showing its own ads. The app allowed users to make playlists of YouTube videos, listen to music with audio-only options, and organize favorite songs. While this setup sounded perfect, it always hovered in a bit of a legal gray area, making people question if the app was legit. For years, Musi insisted that it played by the rules, and claimed that artists were getting paid for streams and that its service fully complied with YouTube’s terms of service. But as Musi’s popularity grew, it also got the attention of major record labels, and eventually, YouTube itself.
The problem with “YouTube Wrapper” apps
“YouTube wrapper” apps like Musi don’t directly stream from YouTube’s official API but instead use their own interfaces to present YouTube content. This type of app can violate YouTube’s terms, especially if it offers YouTube Premium features, like background play or audio-only streaming, for free. According to YouTube’s API guidelines, any app that isolates or separates the audio from the video is off-limits, and this became a central issue for Musi. Musi claimed to have been in talks with YouTube in 2021, hoping to work out any issues around their service.
YouTube reportedly raised three main concerns: Musi’s use of YouTube’s non-public interfaces, Musi’s ad model, and whether Musi violated rules against profiting off YouTube’s content. Musi countered that its app didn’t access non-public data and merely used YouTube’s public website in a way that respected the company’s terms. Even with these assurances, YouTube appeared unconvinced and let the matter simmer until 2023. That year, YouTube raised its concerns with Musi once more, and things reached a boiling point in August 2024 when YouTube reportedly took its complaint to Apple.
What happened to Musi?
Once YouTube got Apple involved, things took a swift turn. According to Musi, Apple informed the app that it needed to work out the issue with YouTube or risk being removed from the App Store. Musi claims it provided evidence of repeated outreach attempts to YouTube, but YouTube reportedly told Apple that Musi was unresponsive. Apple sided with YouTube, and without further discussion, in September, Musi was removed from the App Store. For fans, this meant that one of their favorite music-streaming apps disappeared overnight. Musi’s response was quick, with the team jumping onto Reddit to explain the situation. They told users the app was temporarily down and that they were working to address “some comments relating to the App Store,” but offered no timeline for when, or if, Musi would be back.
The Lawsuit: Musi takes Apple to court
With the App Store door seemingly closed, Musi decided to take the legal route, filing a lawsuit against Apple. In its complaint, Musi argued that Apple removed the app based on vague accusations from YouTube, without any actual proof of policy violations. Musi claims that it didn’t rely on YouTube’s API at all and instead used a unique interface that allowed users to access YouTube’s public site within Musi.
This setup, Musi argues, didn’t violate YouTube’s terms, as it wasn’t a commercial use of YouTube’s service. Musi is seeking several things through its lawsuit. First, it wants Apple to reinstate the app in the App Store and stop responding to third-party complaints by removing apps without proof of infringement. Musi also wants damages for lost profits, arguing that the app’s reputation and bottom line took a major hit from the sudden App Store removal.
Musi’s fate now hangs in the balance. The lawsuit may bring some resolution, especially if Musi can prove it didn’t break any rules. The app has built a huge user base over the years, so if it wins the case, fans could see Musi return to the App Store. However, if Apple and YouTube maintain their stance, Musi might remain off the platform permanently.
Published: Oct 29, 2024 09:11 am