Amazon is expanding its range of ad-free songs and podcasts for Prime members as it tries to make its subscription plan more attractive.
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Amazon announced Tuesday that it will increase the number of songs available to Prime subscribers from 2 million to 100 million. The songs can be played for free, but users must “shuffle” artists, albums or playlists rather than being able to individually choose which song they want to listen to.
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All-Access playlists, which can be downloaded and played offline depending on listeners' preferences, are available upon request, Amazon said.
With the new Prime podcast and music perks, Amazon is likely to step up competition against Spotify and Apple Music. For example, last month Apple raised the price of its monthly Apple Music subscription from $9.99 to $10.99 — and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said just last week that his company is considering raising its prices soon, too.
In addition to content from Wondery, the podcasting start-up Amazon acquired in 2020, Prime members now have access to a selection of ad-free podcasts, including shows from CNN, NPR, the New York Times , and ESPN.
Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon, available in several countries, that gives users access to additional services that are otherwise unavailable or available at an additional cost to other Amazon customers. The services include same-day, one-day, or two-day delivery of goods, and streaming services for music, video, e-books, gaming, and grocery shopping. The company recently increased the price of Prime from $119 to $139 per year.
Information source: cnbc.com
