Launched in the UK with much fanfare last week, the HMV smartphone application was looking to be the backbone of the retailer's renewed digital presence. One of its most noted features was the ability to download music on iOS devices - Apple having previously and strictly kept full download capabilities limited to their own iTunes app. However, HMV owners Hilco announced "the HMV app is the first non-iTunes-based service on Apple’s iOS platform to allow the purchase of digital music downloads through a native app experience."
If it sounds too good to be true, it seems as if it was. After offering HMV a brief window to remove the download feature, Apple pulled the application entirely yesterday after the necessary changes were not made. Confirmed by The Guardian, Apple cited the App Store guideline that "apps using IAP to purchase physical goods or goods and services used outside of the application will be rejected", suggesting users were taken to HMV's external mobile site to purchase downloadable music. This is in contrast to HMV's claim of native downloads.
Paul McGowan, Chairman of HMV and CEO of Hilco, said “it is disappointing that Apple has chosen to suspend an app that has proven to be very successful in only a few short days despite Apple having already approved the exact same version on 15th September".
The app has been downloaded over 10,000 times between the App and Play stores since its UK launch last Thursday. Anyone who had already downloaded it on the App Store will still be able to download music from it as normal.
The company will now be looking to quickly launch an updated version of the app that will retain all the app's other features, including the ability to photograph and scan album covers for a preview of the music. It will also offer the ability to "manage all HMV downloads made via the company’s HTML5 store", which suggests that customers will still be able to purchase MP3s for iOS devices through a web browser.
The full HMV website and digital store will be relaunched on Thursday, the same day the apps will become available in Ireland.
