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There are many music streaming platforms available, and it’s not surprising that Amazon has one too, considering its wide range of services. Although Amazon Music may not be as well-known as Spotify or Apple Music, it has some impressive features. These include a library of 100 million songs, high-resolution and spatial audio options, a wide range of podcasts, the ability to control it with Alexa voice commands, and a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to find music.
Amazon Music offers different subscription options, including a free version and a premium tier called Music Unlimited. To access Music Unlimited, you need to have an Amazon Prime subscription and pay an additional $9 per month. However, Amazon recently announced that starting from September 19, the price will increase to $10 per month. However, each of them has its own unique characteristics and functionalities. We will explain all the options to help you decide which Amazon Music plan is best for you, if any.
About Amazon Music
Amazon Music is a service that lets you listen to music online, just like Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, Tidal, and Deezer. It has a collection of over 100 million songs and many popular podcasts that you can listen to online or download to listen to later, even without an internet connection. Just like other music streaming services, Amazon Music allows users to listen to a wide variety of songs and albums, both new and old. Users can also create their own playlists and share them with others. It also looks at what you like to listen to and suggests new artists, albums, playlists, podcasts, and more. This makes it easier for you to find something you’ll enjoy playing. If you’re someone who loves high-quality audio, Amazon Music offers different plans for hi-resolution lossless audio called HD and Ultra HD. This is something to keep in mind if you’re comparing it to Spotify, which currently doesn’t offer this feature.
The platform is designed to be user-friendly with a simple interface and easy-to-use controls. It has a lot of album artwork and visuals, similar to Spotify. You can access it through various methods, such as iOS and Android apps, desktop apps for Mac and Windows, web browsers, as well as Echo and Fire TV devices. Furthermore, Amazon Music is compatible with Alexa voice control. This means you can use voice commands to skip tracks, pause, or ask Alexa to play specific songs or albums.
Amazon Prime: What Types of Plans Are Available?
- Amazon Music Free
- Amazon Music Prime
- Amazon Music Unlimited
Amazon Music Free
If you want to try out the basics and get started, you can use the ad-supported Amazon Music Free plan. You don’t need an Amazon Prime subscription to use it. The basic tier has some limitations, like most free services that rely on ads. It allows you to access “millions of podcast episodes” and thousands of playlists and stations, but you will hear ads between songs.
One of the most frustrating things for many people is that you can only listen to songs in shuffle mode, which means you can’t choose specific songs to play. Additionally, the songs are not available in high-quality lossless HD or Ultra HD formats. You only need a regular Amazon account, and you don’t have to provide your credit card details.
Amazon Music Prime
If you don’t like the ads on the Free tier, and you’re already an Amazon Prime subscriber (or considering becoming one), you can use Amazon Music Prime for free. With an Amazon Prime account, you not only get benefits like same-day shipping and Prime Video, but you also gain ad-free access to a huge music library of 100 million songs, podcasts, stations, and playlists. You can also download content at this level. This is beneficial because this tier only allows you to play content on one device at a time, unless you are playing music that you have already downloaded and saved on your device.
However, there are some quirks that come with it. When you have the expanded library, you can access the same 100 million songs as the Unlimited tier. However, when it comes to playing albums, artists, and playlists, you can only listen in shuffle mode. The only exception is the “All-Access Playlists,” which you can choose, play, skip, and download freely. For Echo devices, the playlists in All-Access are shuffled. Fire TV has music but no podcasts. Fire Tablet has a limited catalog and no ad-free podcasts. Additionally, you can’t access HD, Ultra HD, or spatial audio features.
Amazon Music Unlimited
Amazon Music Unlimited provides a complete music streaming experience. The Amazon Music Prime plan gives you everything without any annoying shuffling or restrictions on what you can play. You can enjoy it to the fullest. But the most important thing about Amazon Music Unlimited is the sound quality. There are 100 million songs available in a high-quality format called lossless HD.
This format has the same quality as a CD, with a bitrate of 850kbps. Additionally, there are millions of songs available in an even higher quality format called Ultra HD. These songs have a higher bitrate of 3,730kbps and a better depth and sample rate. These high-resolution tracks have excellent sound quality and use the FLAC audio codec. The sound is very clear and impressive, similar to the sound quality of competitors like Tidal (which also uses FLAC) and Apple Music (which uses the comparable Apple ALAC codec).
There are over a thousand tracks available in Dolby Atmos Music and 360 Reality Audio if you want to enjoy immersive surround sound. Music Unlimited offers a variety of plan options with some limitations, but overall, it is a strong music streaming service worth considering.
Amazon Music Features
The Amazon Music interface is user-friendly and well-structured. If you’re used to using Spotify, you’ll find it familiar and easy to get used to. In general, there aren’t many differences between smartphone and desktop apps, or the web player. This means that the experience is mostly the same no matter which one you use.
One thing you might notice is that the desktop and web player experience doesn’t have the Alexa button found at the bottom of the smartphone app. This button allows you to use voice commands to search and control playback. You can also activate this feature by saying “Alexa” when the app is open.
When you open the service, the Home page is the first thing you see. It has tabs for your music, podcasts, search function, and library. On desktop, these tabs are located at the top, and on smartphones, they are located along the bottom.
The scrolling screen is a mix of things you often listen to and many suggestions for finding new content. This includes artists, stations, popular playlists and songs, current music releases, different music genres, exclusive podcasts, and more. It’s designed to help you easily find something you enjoy.
If you need to find something to listen to quickly and easily, My Soundtrack is a playlist of songs that is automatically created for you. It is based on your listening habits and the artists and tracks you have liked. The Discovery Mix is a playlist of new music that changes every Monday. It is created based on your listening habits.
The Library is where you can find all your saved albums, songs, playlists, followed podcast episodes, downloaded music, and more. You can easily filter and organize them as you prefer.
Similar to other music streaming apps, there is a small bar at the bottom of the screen for playback. When you expand it, you can see the album artwork, information about the track or album, playback controls, and a yellow icon indicating the quality of the track: SD, HD, or Ultra HD.
A neat feature is that when you tap on this icon, a window appears that displays the track quality from Amazon Music, the digital-to-analog (DAC) conversion capability of your device (such as your iPhone or computer), and the output quality (like from the iPhone’s speaker or a pair of Bluetooth headphones). This information helps you understand the quality of the files throughout the entire playback process.
Even if the file is UHD and has a 24-bit/96kHz resolution, your device might only be able to play it at a 24-bit/44.1kHz resolution. Moreover, if you swipe to the right, you will see another screen that displays information about any Dolby Atmos tracks you are currently listening to. More details and images about this will be discussed below.
You can easily find options to share, view lyrics, and connect Wi-Fi network speakers, Bluetooth speakers, and AirPlay speakers from the playback window. There’s also a cool feature called “X-Ray” that provides interesting facts and information about what you’re listening to, along with other content suggestions.
Amazon Music Cost and Pricing
Amazon offers different plans for their music service. These include Amazon Music Free, which has ads, Amazon Music Prime, which is ad-free and free for Amazon Prime members, and Amazon Music Unlimited, a premium option that can be added to your Amazon Prime membership or purchased separately. Here’s a simple breakdown:
Amazon Music Free
You don’t need an Amazon Prime subscription, but you do need to create an account for free.
Amazon Music Prime
If you have an Amazon Prime Membership, you get this for free. The membership costs $15 per month or $139 per year. Right now, students can get a great deal. The usual price of $15 per month is now reduced to $7.49 per month for up to four years. This deal also includes access to Prime Video, Prime Gaming, and other benefits.
Unlimited Music
This is the best option available, and it offers different choices for subscriptions.
- The Music Unlimited Individual Plan costs $10 per month or $99 per year if you have a Prime membership. If you don’t have a Prime membership, it costs $11 per month. New subscribers can get a three-month trial without having to pay anything.
- The Music Unlimited Family Plan lets you listen to music on six devices simultaneously. It costs $16 per month or $159 per year. Starting in September, the price will increase to $17 per month or $169 per year. You need to have an Amazon Prime subscription.
- The Music Unlimited Student Plan is offering a great deal for students. In addition to the discounted student Prime rate, the regular $6 per month student rate for Amazon Music has been reduced to just $1 per month for up to four years.
- The Music Unlimited Single-Device Plan is a bit different because it is only for Echo and Fire TV devices. It does not include HD or Ultra HD quality or spatial audio tracks, and you cannot download songs with this plan. With a Prime membership, the cost is $5 per month.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Amazon Music offers a range of plans to suit different users. The free version provides a basic experience, while Amazon Music Prime enhances it for Amazon Prime members. Amazon Music Unlimited stands out with high-quality audio options and immersive features, making it a strong contender in the music streaming market. The impending price increase is a factor, but the service’s comprehensive features and competitive pricing, especially for students, make it a compelling choice for music enthusiasts. Ultimately, the decision depends on individual preferences and priorities.
