Skip to main content

Amazon launches streaming music service for Prime members

Amazon launches streaming music service for Prime members

/

Just in time for a new Amazon phone

Share this story

Amazon is launching Prime Music today, a free streaming music service for its Prime members. Rumors had suggested Amazon was looking to take on rival streaming services like Spotify, and today’s launch provides Prime members with access to more than one million songs without ads. If you’ve paid the Amazon Prime subscription fee then it’s instant free access, otherwise there’s a 30 day free trial available.

Apps coming for mobile playback

Amazon Prime Music appears to be focused on playlists, and the company has already populated its store with a number of curated playlists for listeners. The New York Times reports that Amazon Prime Music will omit new releases and will not include popular songs from Universal Music initially. Coupled with a small catalogue of songs, the lack of Universal Music could limit its appeal to customers weighing up Spotify, Beats, and other rival services. Amazon is also planning to release Prime Music apps, with support for Kindle Fire, iOS, Android, PC, and Mac. Each app will support unlimited offline playback, but they’re not currently available to download just yet.

Amazon’s music push comes just days before the company is expected to unveil a smartphone that includes 3D features, and will serve as another way for consumers to access Amazon’s app store and ecosystem of products.