AMAZON SET TO LAUNCH ITS OWN MUSIC STREAMING SERVICE FOR SUBSCRIBERS OF PRIME

Amazon is set to launch its own streaming music offering Thursday, according to sources.


Chasing Apple’s recent $3 billion deal to acquire Beats Music, the online giant is throwing its hat in the ring. Google is also in talks to acquire Songza, another streaming music service.

The new Amazon music service will be available to those who subscribe to Amazon Prime, its paid shopping membership option.

Amazon Prime costs $99 and also offers a streaming video service that competes with Netflix.

Amazon is also reportedly developing its own phone hardware.

The new offering is expected to kick off Thursday and is described as a truncated version of Spotify. Consumers would be able to access a limited catalogue of songs, but none of them would be the most recent chart toppers.

The independent music labels, Sony Music and Warner Music Group are believed to have signed on to license their music while Universal Music has yet to agree to a deal.

One source said the service is heavy on playlists such as particular music categories. Amazon also sells music at its website.

One industry source said the music industry was behind the idea because it could grow into something much larger. “We wanted to support it. It is a steppingstone. It shows that music is a priority for Amazon.”