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In the early 2000s, Amazon was still securing its footing as the go-to destination for shopping online for everything from pet supplies to apparel. Now, the company is known for more than e-commerce, thanks to its many other services, like Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Web Services, and Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.
One of Amazon’s most popular services is Amazon Music, its streaming platform for millions of songs and podcasts. Learn how it compares to similar platforms to decide whether it’s worth a monthly or annual subscription.
Amazon Music Overview
Amazon Music originated in the way many online music platforms did. In 2007, it was simply an online music-selling platform known as Amazon MP3. It wasn’t until 2014 that Prime Music launched, allowing Amazon Prime members to listen to streaming music from their phones or computers for free as an additional benefit of their Prime membership. The service had a modest collection of songs to choose from, but users could play and pause their favorites to their heart’s content.
Pros
- Supports high-definition audio
- Pairs seamlessly with Amazon Alexa devices
- Affordable individual, family, and student plans
- Generous 3-month free trial with all features included
Cons
- No live radio feature
- Algorithm to discover new music isn’t as sophisticated as other streaming platforms
- Limited free version
In 2016, the more recent version of Amazon Music entered the scene. Known as Amazon Music Unlimited, the service was introduced to rival top competitors like Apple Music and Spotify. To keep things affordable for Prime members, Amazon allowed them to get Amazon Music Unlimited cheaper than non-Prime members, at just $7.99 per month or $79 per year. With this service, users could create and share their own playlists, discover new music, and customize their algorithm by favoriting and disliking songs they listened to.
Amazon continues to upgrade Amazon Music to include a broader catalog of music and, now, podcasts for users to enjoy. The company has also since expanded its plan options, creating affordable plans for students and families.
Highlights
Best For: Amazon Prime users who use Alexa devices
Price Range: $0-$16.99/month
Free Trial: Yes, 30-days
Audio Quality: SD, HD, Ultra HD, Dolby Atmos, and 360 reality Audio
Offers Podcasts: Yes
Ad-Free Available: Yes
Download Offline: Yes
Apple Store Rating: 4.7/5
Google Play Rating: 3.3/5
Why We Like Amazon Music
Amazon Music has consistently been featured as one of the best music streaming services in the industry, but that’s not why we love it. We appreciate Amazon Music for its massive library of over 100 million songs, with more added all year long as new music releases and new artists enter the scene. The service also features millions of podcast episodes from some of the most popular podcasts, including Dateline, Smartless, The Daily, and New Heights.
Amazon Music differs from its competitors in the way it was designed to work seamlessly with an Amazon Prime membership and Amazon Alexa devices. If you’re already a Prime member and own an Alexa device, you’ll find that Amazon Music fits in seamlessly with both. Prime members get a discount on an Amazon Music Unlimited subscription, and Alexa devices are built to connect easily to Amazon Music, allowing you to stream your favorite songs and podcasts conveniently from your devices.
Amazon Music: Plans & Pricing
Since its founding, Amazon Music has continued to expand its plan options to improve financial accessibility for users. From its 100% free plan to an affordable single-device plan to a convenient plan for families to enjoy together, Amazon Music probably has a plan that fits your budget.
| Plan Name | Price per Month | Price per Year | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | $0 | $0 | Access to podcasts, curated playlists, and stations; ad-supported; limited skips; no offline playback |
| Amazon Music Prime | Free with Amazon Prime | Free with Amazon Prime | Ad-free streaming, limited skips, offline listening for All Access Playlists, standard-definition audio |
| Individual Plan | $9.99 (Prime), $10.99 (non-Prime) | $99 (Prime), N/A (non-Prime) | HD, Ultra HD, and Spatial Audio, unlimited plays, offline playback, personalized stations |
| Single Device Plan | $5.99 | N/A | Use on one Echo or Fire TV device, access to full song library and podcasts |
| Student Plan | $5.99 | N/A | Same features as Individual Plan at a discounted rate, requires student verification |
| Family Plan | $16.99 | $159 | Stream on up to six devices simultaneously, individual profiles, no play restrictions |
Amazon Music Free
Amazon Music’s free plan is free for everyone, whether or not you have a Prime membership. This plan offers millions of podcast episodes plus a wide variety of curated playlists and stations to listen to music. You can also benefit from Amazon Music’s algorithm to help you discover new music to listen to based on your likes and plays.
Of course, as with many free services, the free plan is supported by ads, so expect to hear ads play between songs. You also won’t get access to high-res audio, spatial audio, or offline playback like on paid Amazon Music plans, nor can you skip songs or create your playlists.
Amazon Music Free is rather limited, but if you’re looking for a simple service to find music and podcasts you might like rather than making your own playlists, it might suit your needs. And, if you decide you love what you see, you can always upgrade to a paid plan at any time without interfering with your saved music and podcasts.
Amazon Music Prime
Amazon Music Prime is a free plan included with an Amazon Prime membership, so non-Prime users can’t access it. Despite being free, Amazon Music Prime offers several benefits for users who don’t yet want to commit to a paid plan but still want a little more control over their music or podcast streaming.
This plan is similar to the radio-style format of Amazon Music Free, except that there are no ads that get in between your songs and podcasts. You can “like” songs you enjoy to help the algorithm learn what you like and suggest new songs and artists. You can also shuffle playlists and albums, and download All Access Playlists for offline listening.
The downside is that only playlists marked as an All Access Playlist allow you to skip as many songs as you like. Otherwise, you’ll only be able to skip a few songs before you reach a cap and need to wait for a “cooldown” period before skipping anymore. Also, like the free plan, Amazon Music Prime only supports standard-definition audio.
Amazon Music Unlimited
Amazon Music Unlimited is the paid version of Amazon Music featuring all the benefits you’d expect, including HD, Ultra HD, and Spatial Audio, unlimited plays, offline playback, personalized music stations, and customizable playlists. There are no caps on skipping songs, and you can search for any song to play on demand at any time. All devices that support Amazon Music also support Amazon Music Unlimited, including Echo devices, Fire TVs, and Fire tablets.
Users do not need an Amazon Prime membership to subscribe to Amazon Music Unlimited. However, Prime members get the service for $9.99 per month or $99 per year, a discount compared to the non-Prime member price of $10.99 per month.
👩 Individual – $10.99/mo
Amazon Music breaks down its Unlimited plan into four separate services: Individual, Single Device, Student, and Family.
The Individual plan is the default plan you’ll receive unless you sign up for one of the alternatives. It’s designed to fit the average user’s needs, allowing streaming from one device at a time. It aligns with the usual Amazon Music Unlimited pricing of $9.99 per month or $99 per year for Prime members and $10.99 per month for non-members. You can typically receive one to three months free before paying, depending on the current trial offer.
🎧 Single Device – $5.99/mo
The Single Device plan is best for people who only use Amazon Music on an Echo or Fire TV device. The service gives you access to the same library of songs and podcasts you get on other Amazon Music Unlimited plans, but it limits you to connecting your account to just one device.
On the plus side, this affordable plan costs $5.99 per month. Currently, eligible devices for the Single Device plan include the Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Plus, Echo Pop, Echo Show, Echo Studio, Echo Input, Echo Spot, and Fire TV.
🎓 Student – $5.99/mo
College or university students can get a discount on their Amazon Music Unlimited plan to pay just $5.99 per month. Although this is the same price as the Single Device plan, it actually gives students access to all Amazon Music Unlimited features, just at a reduced price.
To qualify for the Student plan, students need to verify their status using a registration process with a third-party vendor, which Amazon will explain to you when you sign up for your plan. You can submit various forms of documentation, like transcripts, a class schedule, or an official enrollment letter, to verify your student status.
👪 Family – $16.99/mo
Families who want to enjoy Amazon Music Unlimited together can opt for the Family plan to stream to up to six devices at a time for $16.99 per month or $159 per year. Anyone joining your Family account needs their own Amazon account to get an invite. Once they join, they’ll get a separate Amazon Music profile to use, so you don’t need to worry about sharing playlists.
Like the Individual plan, the Family plan usually offers free trials for one to three months.
What Is Amazon Music Live?
Amazon Music Live is a sister service to Amazon Music that provides live concerts to watch on Twitch or Amazon Prime Video. Most concerts have Amazon Music Live pre-shows, a time for viewers to enjoy interviews and entertainment before the main show begins. Past and upcoming concerts include artists like Pharrell Williams, Ed Sheeran, Lil Durk, Garth Brooks, and Green Day.
All Amazon Music customers can watch Amazon Music Live’s concert streams at no additional cost using the Amazon Music app, their Twitch account, or the Prime Video app. Visit the Amazon Music Live page to view upcoming weekly concerts for the current season.
How To Listen to Amazon Music
Once you subscribe to Amazon Music, there are several ways for you to enjoy your favorite songs and podcasts using your subscription.
Perhaps the most straightforward way is through the Amazon Music app, which is available on the App Store and Google Play. Depending on your plan, you can use the app to search for and play music and podcasts, browse stations and playlists, look for new music based on your mood, and customize your library of songs by building playlists and downloading music. The app also has an “Alexa” feature, allowing for convenient voice controls to navigate your playlists or search for new audio.
If you’re in the car, you can also listen to Amazon Music. Depending on your vehicle’s audio controls and technology, you can stream Amazon Music via Bluetooth, connect it using a USB cord, or stream it using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Check your vehicle’s owner manual to determine whether your car supports any of these options.
Amazon Music lets you enhance your home connectivity by using Alexa-enabled devices or Fire TVs to stream audio throughout your home. Similar to Yamaha MusicCast, you can connect your devices to a central app, allowing you to control the songs or podcasts they play using the app or voice commands. For example, to play a song from an Amazon Echo, say, “Play (song name).” Or, if you want to play one of your playlists, say, “Play (playlist name).”
Multi-Room Streaming
By connecting your Amazon Music account to Alexa devices, you can create a multi-room audio system throughout your home or workplace. If you have multiple Alexa speakers, for example, you can add them to a speaker group to control them at one time using your Alexa mobile app or Alexa voice commands. Play a song from your Amazon Music account, and you’ll hear it throughout the entire speaker group, which you can set up in different rooms to enjoy multi-room audio.
Several Amazon Alexa devices stream audio in HD, Ultra HD, or Spatial Audio for crisp, clear sound. You can learn more about a device’s supported audio by viewing its description and specifications on Amazon. Make sure you sign up for Amazon Music Unlimited to enjoy these audio experiences, as it’s the only Amazon Music plan that supports them.
How To Sign Up for Amazon Music
If you want to try Amazon Music for yourself, head to the Amazon Music website. From the menu, choose the plan you’d like to try. Then click the “Try It Free” button to take advantage of the free trial. You’ll need to register an Amazon account or sign in to your current account if you already have one.
You can also sign up using the Amazon Music app instead of the website if you’d prefer.
How To Get Tech Support
Amazon Music’s tech support is available through the app or website if you need help setting up your account, using features, or getting your music to play on your audio devices.
On the website, visit the Contact Us page. Choose the issue you’re having from the pull-down menu. Then, choose whether you want to email, call, or chat with a tech support specialist. Some methods won’t be available for certain issues.
From the app, tap the gear icon in the upper right corner. Then, choose “Help & Feedback,” which gives you several contact options, like requesting a callback, chatting with a specialist, or visiting the community forum to get help with your issue.
How To Cancel Amazon Music
You can also cancel your Amazon Music subscription at any time through the website or app.
On the website, visit your Amazon Music settings and find your subscription. In the subscription renewal details section, locate and click the “Cancel” link. If you’re using the app, click on the gear icon, followed by “Settings.” Then, click “Manage Your Subscription” and tap the button to cancel your subscription.
Once you cancel, your account will still be available until you delete it, so you can always restart your subscription later.
How Does Amazon Music Compare?
Amazon Music is one of the cheapest music subscription services, especially if you’re an Amazon Prime member. It also has an extensive catalog of 100 million songs, similar to the most popular services, like Apple Music, Deezer, YouTube Music, and Spotify.
| Feature | Amazon Music | Competitors |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Quality | SD, HD, Ultra HD, Dolby Atmos, 360 Reality Audio | Varies (e.g., Spotify offers up to 320kbps, Apple Music offers lossless) |
| Offline Playback | Yes | Yes (common across most platforms) |
| Ad-Free | Yes (on paid plans) | Yes (on paid plans) |
| Live Radio | No | Yes (available on platforms like Apple Music) |
| Algorithm for New Music | Less sophisticated | More sophisticated (e.g., Spotify and Apple Music) |
| Free Version | Yes | Yes (available on most platforms with limitations) |
| Podcasts Offered | Yes | Yes (common across most platforms) |
| Multi-Room Streaming | Yes (with compatible Alexa devices) | Varies (e.g., Apple AirPlay, Google Cast support) |
However, some users feel that Amazon Music’s algorithm isn’t as sophisticated as frontrunners like Spotify and Apple Music, so it may not be as effective at finding new music to enjoy based on your past listens or likes. Still, if you’re primarily looking for an affordable service to play curated stations and playlists and to create your own playlists, Amazon Music could be one of your best options.
Is Amazon Music Worth It?
Amazon Music is a highly rated and commonly used platform for streaming music and podcasts. It’s cheapest for people with Amazon Prime, but it’s still more affordable than some competitors, even for those without a Prime membership.
| Subscription Type | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | $9.99 (Prime members), $10.99 (non-Prime) | $99 (Prime members), N/A for non-Prime | Requires Amazon account, Prime membership for discount |
| Single Device | $5.99 | N/A | Limited to one Echo or Fire TV device |
| Student | $5.99 | N/A | Requires verification of student status |
| Family | $16.99 | $159 | Up to 6 devices simultaneously, separate profiles for each user |
In fact, Amazon Music Prime is entirely free for Prime members and may have everything you need if you don’t mind some limitations like skip limits on user-created playlists and support for only standard-definition audio. We suggest trying this version first to get a solid feel for the service before bumping up to the paid Amazon Music Unlimited.
How do I manage my Amazon Music billing through iTunes?
Users who purchase an Amazon Music subscription through iTunes, which happens when you buy straight from the app, can manage their billing through their iTunes account on their iOS device. Visit the settings on your device and click your Apple ID. Then, scroll down to “Media & Purchases,” followed by “Subscriptions.” Click your Amazon Music subscription to change plans or cancel your subscription.
If I become a student, can I switch from Amazon Music Unlimited to a student account?
Yes – if you become a student after you’re already subscribed to a regular Amazon Music Unlimited plan, you can verify your student status to switch to a student plan. To do that, visit your Amazon Music settings on your device or on a computer and find the student discount section. Follow the instructions there to verify your status.
Can I get a refund on my Amazon Music subscription?
In most cases, your Amazon Music subscription is non-refundable. Instead, if you cancel, you’ll still have access to your subscription until your subscription date ends, but you won’t get charged for a renewal. For example, if your subscription ends on May 30th but you cancel on May 15th, you’ll still have access through May 30th. However, if Amazon Music needs to cancel, change, or suspend your account or its services, you may be eligible for a refund if you signed up directly through Amazon Music
Who can be a part of my family plan on Amazon Music?
Anyone can technically be a part of your family plan if they have an Amazon account. The members of your plan don’t necessarily need to be part of your family or in your immediate household. You can invite people with an Amazon account to share your family plan, which gives them their own profile within your Amazon Music account to enjoy their songs and podcasts without interrupting your account or profile.
How do I invite and remove members to my Amazon Music family plan?
If you have a family plan with Amazon Music, you can invite or remove people at any time. Visit your Amazon Music settings from the website or app and click on “Invite or Remove Members.” Find and copy your invite link, which you can send via text or email to the person you’d like to invite.
How often does Amazon raise prices on Amazon Music?
There’s no set schedule on which Amazon raises its prices for Amazon Music plans. The last price hike was in late 2023 when the Amazon Music Unlimited plan rose from $8.99 to $9.99 for Prime members and the family plan rose from $15.99 to $16.99. Keep an eye on emails from Amazon Music or notifications in the app to learn more about potential price changes to your subscription.
What Roku models support the Amazon Music app?
All current Roku devices support the Amazon Music app, including the Roku Streaming Stick and the Roku Express. Older Roku devices, like the 2000, 2100, and N1100, do not offer the Amazon Music app. Before buying a Roku device, check its specifications to learn more about its compatible apps.
