The online marketplace has released its full on-demand service called Amazon Music Unlimited.
It feels as though rumors about an Amazon streaming music service have been around forever. As of this week, the company launched Amazon Music Unlimited. It is meant to function as a rival to Google Play Music, Apple Music and Spotify. That said, Amazon has worked hard to make its offerings stand out.
There are many ways in which Amazon Music Unlimited is different from other options on the market.
That said, the price of a subscription is likely what makes this streaming music service the most different. In the U.S., it has launched at $79 per year or $7.99 per month for Prime members. This is notably less expensive than the premium Spotify and Apple Music options. Moreover, customers who own an Amazon Echo voice-controlled gadget will be able to subscribe for music at only $3.99 per month.
That said, at the very heart of the service is one that is quite similar to the competition. It has an enormous catalog of songs. It also includes a recommendation engine to help users to discover new music. The service has a contract with the three largest music labels in addition to a solid number of indie labels. It can allow users to create their own playlists though algorithmic playlists are also available.
The Amazon streaming music service is available for Android, iOS, Sonos and desktop users.
Naturally, it is also available through the Amazon set-top boxes as well as its Fire tablets. The company’s new Music apps have been entirely recreated and overhauled. They have new navigation, typography and place a greater focus on album art and imagery.
These applications also offer a number of interesting features. For instance, users can automatically download music the company’s algorithms think they will like. This function occurs in the background so users can benefit from offline listening, too. Lyrics integration has also been included in the mix.
Amazon is focusing the marketing of its new streaming music service on its sleek integration with the Echo devices and with Alexa voice assistant.
