Amazon Gives Prime Subscribers Access to 100 Million Songs

[siddavis]

Just checked out the updated app. ALL playlists are still there. I do like Amazon playlists better than my Apple Music subscription. I only have this because I wanted the 2TB One plan, and we semi-regularly use Fitness.
spotify has excellent playlists, the g/f subs for this reason.

My curated music of my own still live untouched via iTunes Match, and yes I double dip in paying for Match & Music, a process of moving my Match stuff to my own NAS is currently being researched.

I understand the concept of curated playlists by third parties, and I find myself using them from time to time, otherwise, I would never actively search out a new music. Kinda set in my ways, but I’ll take access for free any day, to expand my listening.

They key is of course, that we actually use on a weekly basis, Amazon prime, so this works well for us.

Playlists are still there, but you have a limit on skips and once you are there, they “add” similar songs and random play. I just tried it myself and thought nothing was different until I bounced around playlists a bit. Then I was basically locked out. It succcccccs

 

[SSDGUY]

I was once a such person too, but someday i realized that it’s just waste of lifetime curating libraries. In the past i used to Mp3Tag my files and add highres covers to the albums, etc. what a waste of time.

I used to meticulously dust off vinyl records and record them to cassette. It was not a waste of time.

 

[LearningAgent]

This is a massive downgrade - until today I could play any song I wanted whenever I want. Now I can't choose any songs in my curated playlists. Bezos is shafting customers, betting that tomorrow everyone will pay $9 bucks a month to have the functionality/access they had yesterday for no extra fee. I'd rather have access to less songs than be refused access to the songs I want when I want them. This is an arrogant, stupid downgrade regardless of what Amazon claims about its benefits.

 

[Paddle1]

This is a downgrade being PR spun into being an upgrade. It's now like a paid version of Spotify Free. Before you could play whatever you wanted as long as it was there.

If someone wanted "access to millions more songs" then Spotify Free already existed.

 

[miamialley]

I must be cheap but I'd rather listen to the radio for free, with access to a trillion songs!

I’ll pay a small amount to not be inundated with commercials. Radio gets you like 30 minutes of music and 30 minutes of commercials. No thanks. I haven’t listened to terrestrial radio in well over a decade. I will not listen to or watch a commercial anywhere if I can help it.

 

[Confused-User]

We get enough stuff by delivery that Prime is worth it - though I hope to someday break free from Amazon. But I just tried this "new" Amazon Prime music service and it sucks. The things it wanted to play for me instead of the album I selected were awful.

Like everyone else here, I think it's a downgrade. More to the point, it feels like a value-subtract from the entire plan (as opposed to a "value-add"). It makes Prime *less* sticky.

I wonder if there are people who are so indiscriminate in their listening habits that this actually seems like a good thing? I mean, if this were spotify for free, that would be one thing, but this is a paid service.

 

[svish]

Great to know about the access to increased content.

 

[krspkbl]

nice. i'm happy with spotify though. prime is really good value and still cheaper than apple music alone!

prime is £9/month or £95/year. apple music is 10.99/month. of course prime isn't just music but delivery/video and more. what's apple tv+ now? £6.99/month. and even Apple One at 17/month can't match it.

how can anyone say it's not good value??

 

[BGPL]

I tried listening to Amazon music today, not knowing this had happened. There are just some days when you want to listen to a certain song, and with this scenario, it's not possible. It will give you similar music, and although you may eventually hear the song you want, it won't be the first one. I tried over and over again. I would bet their shuffle algorithm has artists with typical loyalties going far more frequent than someone like Garth Brooks that has a special contract. Yes, I was trying to listen to Garth, and it wasn't happening. I got a lot of 90's country. No thanks!

Yesterday I was listening to the Garth Brooks songs I wanted, and I don't have unlimited. So this is effectively a downgrade for most people, but they did a pretty good job of spinning it. Most think they just got an improvement.

 

[zapmymac]

Playlists are still there, but you have a limit on skips and once you are there, they “add” similar songs and random play. I just tried it myself and thought nothing was different until I bounced around playlists a bit. Then I was basically locked out. It succcccccs

Ooh! Thanks for the clarification. ✌️

 

[0924487]

Too expensive especially if you live near an Amazon distribution center/warehouse where even non-Prime users get their stuff in 1-2 days. Prime still has an atrocious movie selection as well, arguably the worst of all services.

The point of prime is so that you don’t have to meet minimum order threshold for free shipping every time.

 

[Gengar]

Can’t wait to hear Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” every 5 songs.

 

[jamcgahey]

Good! The more competition the better. I personally didn't like how Amazon Music was set up, but this is great news for Prime subscribers that don't want to pay a sub for music. This is a great alternative to free Spotify.

 

[macduke]

I mean this says they didn’t increase the price but they already did. Mine is going from $120/yr to $140/yr in March! And then wait until later when they say “We offer so much value! And music licensing fees have gone up…” and they raise the price.

I just want “Amazon Delivery” instead of Amazon Prime. I already have music and video streaming services. Can I just pay like $60/yr for 2 day delivery and leave it at that? I literally use nothing else. Or do something useful like bundle Eero Plus and Ring Protect and Amazon Kids+ (kids books on their Kindle) which I already have to pay for with Amazon. Or maybe something that the big players don’t offer like Kindle Unlimited!

 

[Pezimak]

Outstanding value, I’ll be checking this out! Meanwhile Apple are increasing their service prices whilst making 10 billion extra profit than last year in services…. But of course it’s all to do with inflation….

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

The point of prime is so that you don’t have to meet minimum order threshold for free shipping every time.

The threshold is $25 so unless you're crazy person that orders one thing at a time everyday you can easily get free shipping.

 

[arkitect]

I was once a such person too, but someday i realized that it’s just waste of lifetime curating libraries. In the past i used to Mp3Tag my files and add highres covers to the albums, etc. what a waste of time.

👍 Very true.

Years ago when I tried out Apple Music's iCloud Music Library it completely messed up my carefully curated and lovingly tended library… everything was a mess.

And that's when I gave up on it. Now music goes into a general playlist. I just can't deal with all the micro management.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

The threshold is $25 so unless you're crazy person that orders one thing at a time everyday you can easily get free shipping.

I don't think it makes me a crazy person if I sometimes only need a USB-C cable for example. As a prime subscriber, I can order just that cable which is well under $25 and have it the next day. That's great.

 

[pauloregan]

I assume they are triyng to protect their Prime membership. ie. Keeping their payers.
If you pay for Prime (mainly for deliveries) and Apple Music and have to cut one due to these trying times, Amazon want their offering to be the value option.

 

[George Dawes]

After listening / having mind blown to Dolby atmos on Apple Music they can keep it thx

 

[fanboy-ish]

Thanks Amazon, but I won’t be renewing my Prime anyway.

I just don’t buy as much as before, most things I can find on Amazon I can find them in brick and mortar stores near me, if I need something from a particular brand I’ll just head to said brand’s website or physical store, I was looking for a pair of gloves and all I could find was cheap Chinese crap, I’m not really into movies and tv series, I don’t watch soccer - here they carry the UEFA Champions League on Prime Video -, for music I have Apple Music - which I’ll happily renew notwithstanding the price hike - and for football I have the NFL Game Pass, ebooks I’ll just get them elsewhere.

However, Prime it’s a good investment if you buy a lot of stuff and don’t live near a mid-sized or big city, because, at least here, finding things in small towns can be challenging and can mean a trip to a bigger town.

 

[danny842003]

nice. i'm happy with spotify though. prime is really good value and still cheaper than apple music alone!

prime is £9/month or £95/year. apple music is 10.99/month. of course prime isn't just music but delivery/video and more. what's apple tv+ now? £6.99/month. and even Apple One at 17/month can't match it.

how can anyone say it's not good value??

I think prime is great value for the delivery. I personally watch very little on prime and in my experience Apple TV + has much better content.
Value is always down to preference I guess.

 

[DD88]

People who pay for music services are crazy. Literally every song ever made is on YouTube, for FREE. I saw a post saying Apple Music was “king” earlier in this thread despite Amazon having billions more song than Apple ever will. Not to mention at Amazon I can listen to Shakira while purchasing a new pair of underpants. Can you do that at Apple?
Anything I want I can buy from Amazon whether it be Apple iPad , Microsoft surface, you name it and for much much cheaper. This is why Apple will go in to liquidation before 2040 because Amazon will just buy them out and do it all themselves because Apple simply can’t compete with them anymore

 

[MVMNT]

Shuffle mode has zero benefit to anyone who already uses a service they can fully curate.

 

[williedigital]

I was once a such person too, but someday i realized that it’s just waste of lifetime curating libraries. In the past i used to Mp3Tag my files and add highres covers to the albums, etc. what a waste of time.

I would say it's a waste of limited time to allow the most rapacious corporations to currate your media intake. I get ignoring ads, but letting them choose your art?? What exactly are you creating time for that is more important?