With subscription streaming services strengthening their lead over downloads and physical this year as the main driver of sales revenue to the music industry, it’s been confirmed that online retailer Amazon will join the crowded space with the launch of its Music Unlimited service.
Set to offer the same 35 million-plus catalog of music as Spotify and Apple Music, the Music Unlimited service will tie directly with the company’s Echo voice-activated speaker system and accompanying Alexa personal assistant, as well as its Amazon Prime retailing service.
The New York Times broke the story today, noting that Amazon’s “latest foray into digital music may prove disruptive both in the way it connects to people’s homes and in the amount of money it will cost,” with its tiered pricing and advanced features tied in tightly with the Echo.
For existing owners of Echo, the service will cost $4 a month, though the service can be accessed only via the single Echo device, with no access through a phone, laptop or other devices. Meanwhile, users of Amazon Prime will pay $8 a month on top of its existing $99 annual charge. The normal Music Unlimited charge will come in at the industry-standard price of $10 a month.
Veteran industry blogger Bob Lefsetz reflected early this morning that Amazon may well be able to capture segments of the mass market that have eluded Apple so far.
“Do people trust Amazon more than Apple? We’re gonna find out. The rap on Apple Music was it was going to win because of trust and credit card numbers… Will Amazon win in music? Not at first. But the target here is Apple, not Spotify.
“If you’re too anxious to go with the upstart Spotify, Amazon is a safe choice... That’s right, there are still people on the sidelines who think downloads are best, never mind CDs, they don’t know how streaming apps work, the synching of playlists. But now that Amazon’s in the game...”
