Amazon is reportedly planning to launch two different music streaming services in the coming weeks.
According to The Verge, the first of these services will be designed for Amazon Echo, and will cost around $5 each month. This is expected to launch “within the next few weeks” according to one source, and will allow Echo owners to access Amazon’s entire music library. However, you’ll only be able to use the service on the Echo, Dot, and Tap smart speakers.
The second service is supposedly called ‘Amazon Music Unlimited’; that’s as reported in an article by AFTVnews, which cites code in Amazon’s new music app for Fire TV that revealed a name and logo. The Verge says the service will work just like rivals Spotify and Apple Music, and will cost users $10 each month for access to a library of “millions of songs”. Sources say that deals with music labels are largely already in place.
(Image credit: AFTVnews)
Perhaps the key point to note is we’re expecting that Amazon Prime Unlimited won’t be part of the standard £79/$99 Amazon Prime yearly subcription. That means you may have to pay extra to get the additional music service.
But the competition will be tough; rival Apple Music, which launched in June last year, has already pulled in 17 million paying subscribers. And current market leader Spotify boasts an incredible 100 million monthly active users, 40 million of which are paying subscribers. Without bundling Music Unlimited into Prime, there’s a good chance Amazon may struggle to achieve similarly lofty subscriber figures.
Related: Amazon Echo vs Dot vs Tap
Watch: Hands-on with the Amazon Echo
Do you think Amazon could trump Spotify in the music streaming wars? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
