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Amazon Prime members now get exclusive live concerts

Amazon Prime members now get exclusive live concerts

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The first concerts will take place in London but stream worldwide to Amazon Prime customers

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Amazon’s Prime subscription service has always been about adding more and more goodies until customers crack under the commercial pressure and just say: “Fine, we’ll sign up. Here’s my credit card.” But the latest addition to the bountiful Prime bundle is still a little unexpected: Amazon is starting its own series of live music events, with tickets available exclusively to paying Prime members.

The first gigs held under the Prime Live Events banner will take place in London, with Blondie, Alison Moyet, Texas, and Katie Melua all playing one-off shows through May, June, and July. Ticket prices will start at £75 ($100) and all the shows will be filmed and available to watch on Prime Video. Tickets for the first gig — Blondie playing at the “historic and intimate” Round Chapel in Hackney on May 23rd — will go on sale this Thursday at 9AM in the UK for £150.

Amazon says this first quartet of shows is just the start, and that more gigs will be announced later this year. Whether or not any will be hosted in the US isn’t clear.

It’s an interesting experiment that connects to a lot of different threads in Amazon’s business. All tickets will be sold via the company’s own Amazon Tickets service, and the shows are being marketed for their intimacy — a move that seems intended to increase the prestige of the Prime program, rather than trying to make revenue from ticket sales. The program could also help Amazon forge ties with the music industry, in the same way Apple has leveraged its Apple Music festival (previously the iTunes Festival, also held in London) to connect with artists.

The first shows are as follows, with tickets to be available here:

  • Blondie, Round Chapel, Hackney, 23 May, Tickets £150
  • Alison Moyet, Round Chapel, Hackney, 12 June, Tickets £95
  • Texas, Porchester Hall, 16 June, Tickets £75
  • Katie Melua, Cadogan Hall, 25 & 26 July, Tickets £75