Amazon is planning to launch a music streaming service which will be exclusively available on its Echo speaker.
This new service is going to be a little different from what is currently being offered by Apple Music or Spotify. It is only going to be available for Echo users. Also, it will be available for half the price.
Recode has reported that Amazon is planning to launch this new service next month. A representative from the brand didn’t respond to any requests for comments.
Amazon certainly made the news with Echo, their voice assistant, and speaker. Users can use their voice to get information on the weather, request an Uber, queue songs, and do so much more using the AI software, Alexa.
This new service is expected to replicate some of the common features from the streaming market including ad-free, unlimited playback, offline listening, etc.
It is reported that Amazon has sold more than 1 million Echo’s in just the first six months of 2015 and are trying to sell 3 million of them this year. For 2017, they are targeting sales of 10 million.
Amazon currently offers music through their Prime Music service which is an online locker that can provide music without any ads as part of their $99 yearly Prime subscription. It is quite a limited catalog when you compare it with Apple Music or Spotify though.
It is highly likely that the Echo music streaming service would work in conjunction with this new streaming service from Amazon which has been a part of the rumor mill for a while now. Reuters say this service is going to be available towards the end of September.
Amazon earlier made a monthly subscription service called Prime Video available to customers for $8.99 a month. This is cheaper that Amazon’s main rival in that space, Netflix.