Apple has removed the popular YouTube wrapper app Musi from the App Store for violating YouTube's terms of service, leading to the emergence of several clone apps.

Musi, which had amassed 66 million downloads since 2016, allowed users to play YouTube videos while displaying its own ads and offering ad-free experiences through in-app purchases. YouTube specifically prohibits wrapper apps that bypass their advertising system.

In response to the removal, Musi has filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming their app uses a proprietary "augmentative interface" rather than YouTube's API, and therefore doesn't violate terms of service. However, even users who previously downloaded the app are now experiencing blocked playlists and playback issues.

Former Musi users are turning to alternatives like Music Si, a similar wrapper app for YouTube and SoundCloud. Music Si offers comparable features and pricing ($2.99/month or $9.99/year for ad removal) and has quickly risen from #244 to #120 in the App Store's Music category.

The future of these wrapper apps remains uncertain as YouTube may take similar action against Musi clones that circumvent their advertising system.

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