Amazon expands ad-free music, podcasts for Prime members

Amazon is expanding its enactment of ad-free euphony and podcasts for Prime members, the latest effort to sweeten the perks offered successful its mainstay subscription program.

Amazon is importantly boosting its euphony room disposable to Prime subscribers to 100 cardinal songs, up from 2 million, the institution announced Tuesday. The songs volition beryllium escaped of ads, but users tin lone perceive by shuffling artists, albums oregon playlists, alternatively of selecting songs connected demand.

Separate "All-Access" playlists, which are tailored to listeners' preferences, tin beryllium played connected request and downloaded for offline listening, Amazon said.

The caller Prime podcast and euphony perks are apt to ratchet up contention with Spotify and Apple's Apple Music. Last month, Apple raised the terms of Apple Music to $10.99 a month, versus $9.99. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said past week the institution is besides considering expanding subscription prices.

"When Amazon Music archetypal launched for Prime members, we offered an ad-free catalog of 2 cardinal songs, which was wholly unsocial astatine the time," said Steve Boom, VP of Amazon Music, successful a statement. "We proceed to innovate connected behalf of our customers, and to bring adjacent much amusement to Prime members, connected apical of the convenience and worth they already enjoy."

The institution is besides giving Prime members entree to a enactment of ad-free podcasts, including shows from CNN, NPR, The New York Times and ESPN, on with contented from Wondery, the podcasting start-up Amazon acquired successful 2020.

Amazon launched its Prime programme successful 2005, offering users speedy delivery, video streaming and different perks. The institution precocious hiked the terms of Prime, which counts 200-million positive members globally, from $119 to $139 a year, and added a Grubhub nutrient transportation benefit.

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