Pladio is Now Available on macOS: A Story of Persistence
I'm thrilled to announce that Pladio is now available on the Mac App Store. What should have been a straightforward release turned into a month-long journey through Apple's App Review process—a story I want to share with fellow developers who might find themselves in similar situations.
The App
Pladio is a radio streaming app that gives you access to over 40,000 radio stations worldwide. It uses the Radio Browser API, an open-source community database licensed under the Open Database License (ODbL). The same codebase powers both the iOS and macOS versions.
The Journey
After Pladio for iOS was approved twice without issues, I submitted the macOS version expecting a similar outcome. Instead, I received a rejection under Guideline 5.2.3—Apple's rule about audio and video streaming requiring proper authorization.
What followed was a series of rejections, phone calls, and documentation submissions:
Multiple written responses explaining that the Radio Browser API only indexes publicly broadcast streams
A phone call with the App Review team, where I was told I needed legal documentation from all 40,000+ radio stations
A comprehensive Authorization Verification Report documenting over 37,000 verified, publicly accessible stations
Two appeals to the Apple Review Board to argue the approval of the Pladio release for macOS
The frustrating part? My iOS app—using the exact same data source—had already been approved twice. And other apps like Triode use the identical Radio Browser API and are approved on iOS, macOS, and tvOS.
What Finally Worked
I escalated the case to the App Review Board with a detailed appeal documenting:
The inconsistency between my iOS approval and macOS rejection
The precedent set by other approved apps using the same API
Technical documentation explaining how public radio streams work
The comprehensive authorization report I had prepared
After submitting the appeal—and admittedly, after some waiting without response—the app was finally approved.
A special thank you to Craig Hockenberry from The Iconfactory, developer of Triode. His advice about creating an authorization verification report turned out to be the decisive tip. Triode is an internet radio app I've personally used for years and can wholeheartedly recommend to anyone!
Lessons Learned
For developers facing similar challenges:
Document everything. Keep records of all communications, approvals, and rejections.
Find precedents. If other apps with similar functionality are approved, reference them specifically.
Be persistent but professional. Generic rejections deserve detailed, specific responses.
Use all available channels. The Resolution Center, phone calls, and the App Review Board appeal are all tools at your disposal.
Connect with other developers. The advice I received from Craig Hockenberry (developer of Triode) about creating an authorization verification report was invaluable.
Download Pladio
Pladio is now available on both platforms:
Thank you to everyone who supported me during this process. Sometimes the path to approval isn't straightforward, but persistence pays off.
