Amazon announced new month-by-month options for how its users can access Prime membership perks and its streaming video features. The entire Prime service can still be bought as an annual subscription for $99, but now is also available for $10.99 a month. That alone is a marked shift in Amazon’s model, but it has also made the Prime Video streaming service available as a standalone for $8.99 a month. Continue Reading
The New York Post is reporting that Amazon may have a vision for Prime Music far beyond the casual listenership it has attracted so far. The Post’s Claire Atkinson cited sources who said Amazon has hosted meetings about licensing music to create an on-demand music service. It is possible, likely in fact, that Amazon does have a grander plan for its music platform. But what exactly will they be? Continue Reading
Amazon’s Prime Music service has added more features for its UK listeners. The platform now offers hundreds of radio stations in that market, along with a song lyrics display from X-Ray Lyrics for tens of thousands of tracks. Continue Reading
The holiday shopping period is usually a gold rush for retailers, and Amazon is no different. The company issued a press release with some key points from its December performance, and it revealed not just powerhouse results from the shipping and retail departments, but a surprisingly strong outcome for Prime Music as well. Continue Reading
Amazon Prime is the latest major company to add a concerts and live performance angle to its streaming service. It has made Qello Concerts available as an a la carte channel for its Prime members. Qello is an initial member of the Amazon Partners Streaming Program, which brings a la carte third-party video content to the platform. What might this signal about Amazon’s longer-term entertainment plans? Continue Reading
Amazon has debuted its Prime Music streaming service in Japan,, the fifth market to receive access to the online retailer’s platform. The service will offer listeners in the country more than 1 million tracks, including music by Japanese artists. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Alibaba buys China’s YouTube; Sony/ATV CEO reassures songwriters on Pandora deal; Amazon Prime and a casual listener strategy. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Behind the scenes with Amazon’s digital music exec; Bandcamp CEO talks new payment policy; Internet radio copyright explainer. Continue Reading
Amazon Prime Music announced that it has licensed Universal’s catalog for listeners in the UK and U.S. Music by Universal artists will be added to Prime’s curated playlists. The deal covers many top 40 and popular artists, as well as a selection of jazz and classical albums. Continue Reading
Amazon has expanded its Prime Music app on the Android operating system to include its new stations feature. The app now includes hundreds of Pandora-style lean-back listening channels without advertisements. Continue Reading
Amazon has updated its Prime Music iOS app with a set of lean-back radio stations. The feature arrived a few months back on the web version, but with mobile listening continuing to rise, bring the fullest service possible to phones is likely to become more and more crucial to a music service’s success. The listening experience is very reminiscent of Pandora, but is it more than a copycat? Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Amazon Prime may roll out in India; assessing Azoff’s ammo against YouTube; in-car listening as public performance? Continue Reading