Half of all app store revenue goes to just 25 developers

Apple still leads in terms of App Store revenue, according to a new report from app store analytics firm App Annie out today, but Google Play’s revenue is accelerating. From Q3 2012 to Q4 2012, Google Play revenue doubled, in a large part due to increases from Japan and South Korea, which, combined, contributed to close to half of Google Play revenue in Q4.

According to a new report from mobile app analytics firm App Annie, Google’s Play software store is gaining on rival Apple’s iOS app marketplace.

App Annie just unveiled the App Annie Index, which will be a monthly report that provides revenue and download analysis of the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. They have some pretty interesting things to report in their first month. The first of which is that Apple’s App Store generates four times more revenue than Google’s Play Store.

The mobile app economy continued to show impressive growth in 2012, with Apple’s App Store maintaining its course, while its rival, Google Play, was able to make some significant gains.

With all those devices Apple is selling, it makes sense that the apps that run on them are being built — and being sold — at higher rates than ever. Apple announced today on the company’s earnings call with investors and analysts that during its fiscal fourth quarter ended September 30 it set an all-time record for app sales.

Distimo, the app store intelligence startup, annual creates a Global App Stores Report covering trends and market data. This year-end report looks at the winners in 2012 which are, predictably, the Apple App Store and Google Play. The skinny on the headlines are: Google Play showed tremendous growth, but the Apple App Store maintained its course.

When Apple launched its app store about five years ago, the company had no idea it would become the success it is today.

If you look at the data sheet that Apple reports along with its standard earnings release, you’ll notice a few changes this quarter. The company adjusted how it reports revenue for different geographic regions and product categories as China and app store revenue have become significant in their own right over the last few years.

  It’s time to break out the bubbly and party favors as Google has just achieved another major milestone. As Google now has 675,000 apps and games available in the Play Store, it can now lay claim to having over a whopping 25 billion downloads. This means as the number of Android users continues to trend upwards, so too the number of downloads in the Play Store.