Amazon Launches On-Demand Music Service; Echo and Prime Users Get Cheaper Subscription

Amazon Music Unlimited — Amazons's rival service to Apple Music and Spotify — was launched Wednesday. The on-demand music streaming service will cost regular users $9.99 per month, while Prime and Echo Users can access it for $7.99 and $3.99, respectively — priced cheaper than its rival services.

According to the Verge, the service is a relaunched version of Prime Music. The official Amazon Music Unlimited page states that the company has a library of "tens of millions" of songs, a recommendation engine, lyrics integration, support for both algorithmic and personal playlists and apps for iOS, Android, Sonos, and desktops, along with the Amazon Fire Tablets and set-top boxes. The music service is compatible with Amazon Echo speakers.

Steve Boom, vice president, Digital Music, Amazon, told the Verge that the company has deals with three major labels, along with thousands of indie artistes.

The music app comes with fresh typography, revised navigation and a focus on artist imagery and album artwork. You can also download music in the background for offline listening.

The service supports the company's Echo Speakers and Alexa voice assistant. Echo users can request songs from Music Unlimited using just their voice. Alexa can pick up the latest song from the artist and play music based on mood and taste. A new feature called side-by-side pairs artists' commentary with selected songs from their catalog.

But the USP of the service is its price, which effectively comes down to $6.58 for Prime users for a yearly subscription. The company is offering users a 30-day free trial. Family plans with a 6-account subscription will be rolled out soon, costing $14.99 per month and $149 for a yearly subscription. Echo users get the cheapest deal, although the subscription will be limited to a single device.