Amazon music is a music streaming service offered by Amazon. It allows users to stream millions of songs including top playlists along with millions of podcasts. The service aims to compete with other streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify.
If you’re an avid listener of music, you may wonder if Amazon Music is worth it compared to other streaming services. However, Amazon Music is actually split into two separate services; Amazon Music Unlimited and Amazon Music Prime. Both services offer different advantages and disadvantages.
Keep reading for more info on the differences between Amazon Music Unlimited and Amazon Music Prime, as well as some details on how the services stack up compared to other streaming apps.
Is Amazon Music Free With Amazon Prime?
Amazon Music has a limited free version that allows users to stream music without a Prime membership or a monthly subscription. Their upgraded Amazon Prime Music service is free for people with an Amazon Prime membership.
If you just want to listen to a few songs here and there on a single device, then Amazon Music Free may be enough for you. However, if you plan on using Amazon Prime services, then having an upgraded music streaming platform is just one of the extra perks you will get for signing up for a Prime membership.
Amazon Music Unlimited is the most inclusive version of Amazon Music. However, it requires a monthly subscription in order to use it. Amazon Music Unlimited is not included with a standard Prime membership.
In other words, if you want access to Amazon Music Unlimited with a Prime membership, you will need to pay a monthly subscription on top of your prime membership fees.
Is Amazon Music Free or Paid?
Amazon Music is split into two main services, along with the free version. The free version gives you access to the basic service, while Amazon Music Unlimited and Amazon Prime give you access to more songs and other perks.
Amazon Music has a free version, along with two paid versions. Amazon Music Prime is free with an Amazon Prime membership. Amazon Music Unlimited requires a paid monthly subscription, but does not require a Prime membership.
If you want to simply listen to music, then Amazon Music Free might be enough for you. However, the music selection is highly limited compared to Amazon Music Unlimited and Amazon Prime. The free version also limits the amount of devices that can stream simultaneously, among other limitations.
The differences between Amazon Music subscriptions will be discussed in greater details later in this article. For more information on Amazon Music in general, you can check out this explanation from Amazon.
What Are the Differences Between Amazon Music Subscriptions?
There are a number of differences between the three Amazon Music Subscriptions. The biggest difference is the amount of music they have available. Other differences include device limitations, and some exclusive content.
You can see the specific differences between the Amazon Music Subscriptions in the chart below:
| Feature | Amazon Music Free | Amazon Music Prime | Amazon Music Unlimited |
| Amazon Prime Membership Needed | No | Yes | No |
| Available Titles | Top playlists. Curated playlists on demand for Android and iOS. Thousands of Stations. | Over a million songs. Thousands of playlists. Personalized streaming Stations. | Over a million songs in Ultra HD. Thousands of playlists. Personalized streaming Stations. Growing catalog of Spatial Audio on Android and iOS with any headphones or select smart speakers. Note: Amazon Music Unlimited Single-Device Plan doesn’t have access to HD, Ultra HD, or Spatial Audio. |
| Stations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HD | No | No | Yes |
| Ultra HD | No | No | Yes |
| Spatial Audio | No | No | Yes |
| Ad-free, Unlimited Plays | No | Yes | Yes |
| Supported Devices | Supported Echo devices. A growing list of Alexa-enabled devices. iOS Android Fire TV devices Fire Tablet Amazon Music for Web | All Amazon Music supported devices. | All Amazon Music supported devices (HD, Ultra HD, and Spatial Audio are available on select devices). Amazon Music Single-Device Plan: Echo devices Fire TV devices |
| Streaming Limits | One device at a time | One device at a time Note: Amazon Music Prime streaming will time out after one hour of inactivity on Echo devices. | Amazon Music Unlimited Individual Plan: One device at time. Amazon Music Unlimited Family Plan: Six devices at a time. Amazon Music Single-Device Plan: One compatible device at a time |
| Alexa Interaction | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Offline Playback | No | Yes | Amazon Music Unlimited Family Plan: Yes Amazon Music Unlimited Individual Plan: Yes Amazon Music Single-Device Plan: No |
| Podcasts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Live Feature | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Chart courtesy of Amazon.com
As you can see, the main difference is that Amazon Music Unlimited gives you access to a much larger library of music, as well as some additional device support and HD audio. Amazon Music unlimited also has family plans available for customers that want to have access on multiple devices with a single subscription.
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If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to ask away in the comments section.