Ad-Supported Alternative to Rival Spotify
According to BGR, Amazon is preparing to launch a new music streaming service. Unlike their existing Amazon Music however, this one will be completely free of charge. Instead, it will be ad-supported and will compete with Spotify.
Unlike their existing Amazon Music Unlimited streaming service, the free version will apparently have a limited catalogue. Most likely, it is what they are already offering for free to existing Amazon prime Subscribers. Now, it will be available even to non-Prime users.
Of course, Amazon also has the advantage of having their own Echo devices to promote the service. So getting the word out about it should be as easy as updating the firmware.
When Will This Amazon Music Service Launch?
There is no official word yet, but according to Billboard, it could be as early as next week.
While this service is launching to compete with Spotify, the obvious number to reach would be Apple’s which boasts 56 million paying subscribers to Apple Music. That is without the existence of a free ad-supported option like Spotify.
Amazon did not disclose how much paying subscribers they have yet for Amazon Music Unlimited. Although analysts last year estimate it to be around 20 million users.
Right now, the Amazon Unlimited Music service costs $9.99 USD a month ($7.99 for Prime members). A cheaper $3.99 USD a month “Echo plan” option is also available. The only catch with this is that streaming only works on a single Echo device.
