If you have the Amazon Echo, you've probably become accustomed to barking out orders for audio, news, and all sorts of other smart home perks. Now the tiny speaker will be able to access a lot more music. Amazon just launched Amazon Music Unlimited.
Like a lot of the existing streaming services out there, Amazon Music Unlimited will offer millions of songs on-demand. The hook here is that this subscription-based service is specifically made for Amazon Prime and Amazon Alexa users.
Of course, Amazon Prime already offers music streaming through Amazon Music. However, Amazon Music Unlimited will bump up the number of available songs, as well as thousands of hand-curated playlists and personalized music stations. Prime members will also receive a discounted price of $7.99 per month or $79 per year (which averages out to $6.58 per month).
If you have the Amazon Echo, Amazon Music Unlimited is even cheaper -- and cooler. Combining the two allows you to use voice commands to turn the Echo into the ultimate personalized jukebox. You can ask for specific artists and songs, as well as ask for the latest from an artist, music from a specific era, or music based on your activity ("Alexa, play music for a dinner party"). You can even start singing specific lyrics and Alexa will track down the song for you. Alexa users can also receive behind-the-scenes commentary from select artists.
Of course, the best Alexa perk has to be the pricing plan. If you have a single Echo, Echo Dot, or Amazon Tap, the cost to access Amazon Music Unlimited is just $3.99 per month. To add it to additional devices, expect to pay $4 per month per device if you're a Prime member (or $6 for non-Prime customers).
The company is also launching a new Amazon Music app, which has a new interface with artist and album images. Use the Home section to stay up to date on trending music, Recommended for personalized suggestions, and Now Playing so you can sing along to what's playing with synchronized lyrics. The Amazon Music app is available now for Fire devices, iOS, Android, Web, PC, and Mac.
"Amazon Music Unlimited brings real value to the millions of people who are already Prime members, with a choice of subscribing for only $7.99 a month or even $79 per year. Plus, customers are going to love Amazon Music's all-new app for iOS, Android, and desktop," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon's founder and CEO. "And if you want a sense of the future of voice-controlled music, go ahead and ask Alexa for a free Music Unlimited trial, and play around on your Echo. If you don't know the name of a song but know a few lyrics, if you want to hear songs from a specific decade, or even if you're looking for music to match your mood, just ask."
Amazon plans to add a family subscription later this year, which will allow up to six members simultaneous access to Amazon Music Unlimited. That's expected to launch at $14.99 per month or $149 per year.
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