30% is an insane commission. Absolutely mind-boggingly brutal. The kind of commission that should guarantee that your product is featured on Apple's home page in large bold, possibly flashing, letters well above their own products. If it's not, then it's not "high-visibility" and 30% is just a blatant rip-off.
# A message from your local software retailer who's doing really well by selling directly.
It’s not too bad considering the alternatives. Not all of my customers are able to download software so I still sell through catalogs. They get a 35-40% discount—which is more than Apple charges. Plus I need to press discs and print manuals.
It would be nice if Apple would fix the search features on the Mac and iOS Apps stores so people can actually find my software.
Comparing a digital download to physical distribution is nonsensical. The alternatives for downloaded software involve setting up your own online store and credit card processing, which costs on the order of $5/month and 3% of sales. Apple does not provide nearly enough more to justify $99/year and 30% of sales.
# A message from your local software retailer who's doing really well by selling directly.