Amazon to take on Apple and Spotify with new streaming music service

The Amazon logo is seen on a podium duri

Amazon is preparing to launch a new standalone streaming music subscription service, reports Reuters. The tech giant is currently finalizing licenses with labels for the service, and it’s aiming for a late summer or early fall launch.

Of course, Amazon already offers a limited music service for free to Prime subscribers. But this new service will cost $9.99 per month and offer a much more competitive catalog, putting it squarely up against Apple Music and Spotify.

Although it will be a late entrant to the crowded streaming space, Amazon believes a comprehensive music service is important to its bid to be a one-stop shop for content and goods, the sources said.

The new music offering also is intended to increase the appeal of the Amazon Echo, its home speaker, which searches the Internet and orders products from the retailer with voice commands.

The move to launch a full-fledged streaming music service makes sense, given Amazon’s behavior in recent months. In an effort to diversify its offerings, the retailer in April introduced a standalone video service priced at $9/month.

Apple Music launched in June of last year, and is expected to get a major update at WWDC next week.

Source: Reuters