Amazon might be considered to be one of the biggest online retailers in the world, however, their ambitions seem anything but fulfilled. In fact, Amazon seemed extremely focused on branching out to additional markets and especially in terms of software and hardware. It was only a few days ago when it was reported that Amazon was rumored to be in talks with various Android manufacturers. Talks to bring to the market Android smartphones which come equipped with Amazon services in replace of Google’s own suite of apps and services. Now, the latest rumors emerging are suggesting that Amazon is also looking to take on the might of the big streaming services like Spotify.
Of course, Amazon does already offer a streaming service, although, it is one which is bundled in with their Prime membership and therefore, only really accessible to Prime members. Not to mention, the catalog is not the most extensive and certainly does not compete with the likes of Spotify or Play Music on content. However, this is exactly what Amazon is rumored to be implemented going forward.
The latest reports detail that Amazon plans to release a standalone music subscription. That is, a service which is available alongside Prime Music and to everyone regardless of a Prime membership. As you might expect, this will then be a service which is charged independently of Prime and the figure currently being touted is $9.99 per month. Essentially, placing it at the price point of the similar services offered by Spotify, Google and so on. At the moment though, it does seem that any subscription service from Amazon is still quite a way off becoming available and it thought to be in the very earliest of stages. With the reports detailing that they have spent the last few weeks hosting meetings to discuss licensing. It does seem that Amazon is playing with a few interesting angles to their offering though. One such angle is the possibility that by buying their Amazon Echo, you could subscribe to the standalone music service at a reduced rate. Thought to be in the region of a $3-4 discount per month. Although again, nothing is currently set in stone or anywhere near being confirmed. The reports do suggest however, this could be a service which arrives sometime in the fall.