Just as the crowded music streaming space seemed like it was poised to slowly thin out, new rumours have surfaced indicating Amazon could be preparing its own entry into the competitive industry.
According to speculation stemming from The New York Post, Amazon could be preparing to challenge Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming music services, with a comprehensive platform significantly more substantial than U.S.-exclusive Prime Music. Reports indicate Amazon has kicked off licensing talks with music industry executives, with plans to launch a $9.99 per month streaming service at some point in the future, though development of the platform is reportedly still in the early stages.
Currently Prime Music comes included with Amazon’s annual membership, offering ad-free access to over 1 million songs, but only to U.S. Amazon Prime subscribers. Canadian Amazon Prime subscribers do not have access to Prime Music.
It’s also rumoured that Amazon will bundle its Amazon Echo personal assistant smart speaker (which also is only available in the U.S.) with its rumoured music platform, offering customers a lower $3 to $4 a month subscription tier for purchasing the device.
If Amazon’s rumoured streaming service does come to fruition, similar to the company’s other products, it’s unclear if it will make its way to Canada at launch, or at all.
Related reading: Mourning a stranger: Goodbye, Rdio
[source]New York Post[/source]
