Amazon Music review

With multiple membership tiers and the ability to access your favorite songs on a wide range of devices simply by asking “Alexa,” it shouldn’t be a surprise that Amazon’s streaming music service is one of the most popular out there. Now you can discover what more than 32 million subscribers already know with our Amazon Music review.

It’s been five years since Amazon launched its first music streaming service, Amazon Prime Music, and in that time, it has grown from a catalog of just one million songs to a massive library that rivals top streamers, like Spotify, with 50 million songs, including some exclusives.

A comparison of Amazon Music plans

All of Amazon Music’s offerings include offline listening with unlimited skips, ad-free playback and access via several different devices. Paid subscriptions come with a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.

Is Amazon Unlimited worth it?

Yes, Amazon Music Unlimited is worth it especially if you’re a Prime member. At $7.99/mo. the Amazon Music Unlimited cost is much lower than competitors, like Spotify and Pandora, whose premium services start at $9.99/mo. For non-Prime members, there’s no difference since the Unlimited subscription costs $9.99/mo.

Is Amazon Music the right streaming service for you?

All Amazon Prime members have access to the Prime Music library of two million songs. Upgrading to Amazon Music Unlimited gives you a significantly larger library, but with the same easy-to-use interface, making it the perfect choice for those new to music streaming.

While Amazon Music Unlimited’s sound quality is more than enough for the casual listener, audiophiles will probably want to opt for Amazon Music HD. This enhanced service provides high definition sound at up to more than 10 times the bit-rate of standard streaming on the same extensive library. 

The biggest factor is how you choose to listen to music. If an Alexa-enabled device is your go-to speaker, then Amazon Music is hands down the best choice. Any time you want to listen to music, you can just queue it up with your voice, no app or hands needed.

User experience

The interface, which is nearly identical both on your desktop and mobile device, is easy to navigate with several curated stations and playlists based on popular styles and themes. Amazon will also make recommendations based on your listening history. You can only access music on a single device at a time unless you’re signed up for a family plan.

There are a handful of ways you can customize your listening experience with the Amazon music app and tailor it beyond the basic genres that are readily featured. One of the easiest ways to get the most out of Amazon Music is to create custom playlists. You can also tune in to already curated options. When you find a song you like, click Add to My Music to put it in your library. The interface categorizes selections by artist, album, song and genre. You can also easily share playlists with others.

Device compatibility

All Amazon Music services are compatible with the following devices:

• All iOS and Android smartphones, tablets and desktops
• Amazon Tap 
• Dot
• Echo
• Input
• Fire TV
• Look
• Show
• Spot 

Amazon recommends listening to Amazon Music HD on devices, headphones and speakers that support 16-bit/44.1 kHz or higher.

Amazon Music features

All Amazon Music streaming services feature ad-free streaming with unlimited skips and offline listening at a great price. Ease of use remains the service’s stand out feature. It’s simple interface and seamless integration with all Alexa-enabled devices make Amazon Music easy and enjoyable to navigate. Here are some of its best features.

Voice activation

If you have your hands full most of the time, Amazon Music’s compatibility with Alexa is key. Although you can stream other music services with Alexa, Amazon’s own service is the easiest to open and utilize.

A big song library

Amazon Music’s library is on par with most popular streaming services, which average between 40 to 50 million songs.

Viewing lyrics

The Amazon Music app lets you view lyrics, so you can sing along—accurately. 

Sharing playlists

Share your playlists with friends with just a few clicks.

High definition sound

While the Amazon Music HD service provides the highest quality in streaming sound, even Amazon’s basic premium service gives you a higher rate than most other streamers at 320 kbps.

What to listen to on Amazon Music

Amazon’s content selection is strictly music and the streaming service doesn’t offer podcasts or other extras, which could be a drawback if you prefer to access your audio experiences in one place. The service has a collection of Amazon Originals, which are exclusive to the platform. Examples of exclusive songs include Sia’s Step By Step and Mumford & Sons’ White Blank Page.

How to sign up for Amazon Music

No matter what subscription level you choose, getting started is incredibly easy. Prime members just need to visit Amazon.com and click the “Listen Now” button under the Amazon Music tab. To sign up for a subscription without a Prime membership, follow these easy steps:

1. Log in to your Amazon account or set one up if you don’t already have one.
2. Visit the Amazon Music page on Amazon.com.
3. Select the plan you want from the drop-down menu along the top.
4. Click the Try It Free button.
5. Choose your payment option.

If you want to access music from your Amazon device, getting started couldn’t be easier, just say “Alexa, try Amazon Music Unlimited.” 

The takeaway

If you’re looking for a hands-free streaming experience, it doesn’t get any better than the combination of Amazon Music and Alexa. With two million ad-free songs, Amazon Prime Music offers one of the best streaming services on the market. For serious music lovers, it’s probably worth springing for Amazon Music Unlimited to score access to the extended library.