Amazon has launched a standalone, ad-free, on-demand streaming music service to rival the likes of Spotfiy and Apple Music, with a large catalog and a range of plans at different price points.
Amazon Music Unlimited offers ‘tens of millions of songs’ from major and indie labels. The standard individual plan costs $9.99 a month; it’s discounted to $7.99 a month or $79 a year for Prime members.
A family plan, which will become available later this year, grants up to six people access to the service for $14.99 a month or $149 a year. If you just want an account to stream tunes to a single Amazon Echo, Dot or Tap speaker, it’ll cost you only $3.99 a month. A free 30-day trial is also available.
Amazon Music Unlimited will also offer recommendations, algorithmic and hand-made playlists and the ability to search for songs by lyrics.
With an Echo, you’ll also be able to use voice commands for placing requests like , “Alexa, play ‘Happy Music’ for a mood-based playlist, and, “play Meshuggah’s new song” to hear the band’s latest single. You can also make a vague request like, “Alexa, play music for a dinner party” to cue up playlists based on your listening history, such as “Dinner with Friends,” or “Cooking with a Classic Soul.”
In case you’re wondering about Prime Music – which offers a limited library of about a couple million songs – it’ll still be available for free to Prime subscribers.
With that, Amazon is set to shake up the streaming music business. However, it has a lot of ground to cover before it can rile up its rivals. Spotify offers numerous innovative features for finding tunes, and Apple Music is already available internationally.
You can learn more about Amazon Music Unlimited and sign up on this page.
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