{{Short description|Music streaming platform and online music store operated by Amazon}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2012}} {{Infobox online service | name = Amazon Music | logo = Amazon Music.svg | logo_upright = 1.2 | launched = {{Start date and age|2007|9|25|df=yes}} | developer = Amazon | pricing = Variable | platform = Windows, macOS, iOS, tvOS, Android, Fire OS, Amazon Alexa, Amazon Echo, HTML5, Android TV, Wear OS, WatchOS, Tesla vehicles | availability = Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States and Uruguay<ref name="Mexico">{{cite news|url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/amazon-music-alexa-and-echo-now-available-in-mexico/|title=Amazon Music Now In Mexico}}</ref> | website = {{url|https://music.amazon.com/}} }}
'''Amazon Music''' (previously '''Amazon MP3''') is a music streaming platform and digital music store operated by Amazon. As of January 2020, the service had 55 million subscribers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Amazon |date=2020-01-22 |title=Amazon Music has more than 55 million customers worldwide |url=https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/amazon-music-has-more-than-55-million-customers-worldwide |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=www.aboutamazon.com |language=en}}</ref>
It was the first music store to sell music without digital rights management (DRM) from the four major music labels (EMI, Universal, Warner, and Sony BMG), as well as many independents.<ref name="launch-pr">{{Cite web |title=Amazon.com Launches Public Beta of Amazon MP3, a Digital Music Store Offering Customers Earth's Biggest Selection of a la Carte DRM-Free MP3 Music Downloads |url=http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070925005710&newsLang=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221112504/http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070925005710&newsLang=en |archive-date=2007-12-21 |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=www.businesswire.com}}</ref><ref name="warner"/><ref name="sony1">{{cite news|url=http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205602334&subSection=All+Stories |title=Amazon Adds Fourth Major Record Label To DRM-Free Music Store |publisher=InformationWeek |access-date=January 12, 2008 |date=January 10, 2008 |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091010095926/http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205602334&subSection=All+Stories |archive-date=October 10, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="sony2">{{cite news|url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/sony-drives-another-nail-in-the-drm-coffin/?ref=technology|title=Sony Drives Another Nail in the D.R.M. Coffin|work=The New York Times|date=January 10, 2008|access-date=January 12, 2008 | first=Saul | last=Hansell| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080123162920/http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/sony-drives-another-nail-in-the-drm-coffin/?ref=technology| archive-date= January 23, 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref> All tracks were originally sold in 256 kilobits-per-second variable bitrate MP3 format without per-customer watermarking or DRM; however, some tracks are now watermarked.<ref>{{cite web |title=Example of Product with Watermarking |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BUKIK2#productDetails |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=Amazon}}</ref>
The service was launched in the United States as a public beta on September 25, 2007,<ref name="launch-pr" /> and the final version followed in January 2008. Amazon MP3 was launched in the United Kingdom on December 3, 2008, in Germany on April 1, 2009, and in France on June 10, 2009.<ref name="afpfr">{{cite news|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i-NTxsgt1Zq8xWeqGG83z0XpUfaw|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130216014256/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i-NTxsgt1Zq8xWeqGG83z0XpUfaw|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 16, 2013|title=Amazon lance sa boutique de musique en ligne en France|language=fr|agency=AFP |date=June 10, 2009|access-date=June 10, 2009}}</ref> The German edition has been available in Austria and Switzerland since December 3, 2009. The Amazon MP3 store was launched in Japan on November 10, 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Media and Entertainment |url=https://omdia.tech.informa.com/advance-your-business/media-and-entertainment |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=Omdia |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/news/e3ic1904d9b2e94022a0a09e22c84285607|title=Amazon Japan Launches MP3 Store|access-date=August 21, 2012|archive-date=December 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121227072404/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/news/e3ic1904d9b2e94022a0a09e22c84285607|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Spanish and Italian editions were launched on October 4, 2012. The edition in Mexico was announced on November 7, 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-07 |title=Amazon Music, Alexa and Echo smart speakers are now available in Mexico |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/amazon-music-alexa-and-echo-now-available-in-mexico/ |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=Music Business Worldwide |language=en-US}}</ref> Licensing agreements with recording companies restrict the countries in which the music can be sold.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amazon MP3 Music Terms of Use |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200154280 |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=www.amazon.com}}</ref>
On September 17, 2019, Amazon Music announced the launch of Amazon Music HD, a new tier of lossless quality music with more than 50 million songs in High Definition (16bit/44.1 kHz), and millions of songs in Ultra High Definition (24(bit)/44(kHz), 24/48, 24/96, 24/192), the highest-quality streaming audio available. Amazon is now among Tidal and Qobuz who offer lossless music for audiophiles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/09/17/amazon-launches-amazon-music-hd-with-lossless-audio-streaming/|title=Amazon launches Amazon Music HD with lossless audio streaming|last=Etherington|first=Darrell|date=17 September 2019|website=TechCrunch|language=en|access-date=16 November 2019}}</ref> The HD streaming service was later made available to all unlimited customers for free on May 17, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Silver |first=Stephen |date=2021-06-04 |title=Amazon Music HD Is Now Free for Unlimited Users: What That Means |url=https://www.makeuseof.com/amazon-music-hd-free-what-that-means/ |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=MUO |language=en}}</ref>
==Availability== thumb|Logo from 2014 to 2017 thumb|Logo of Amazon Music Unlimited, which is a full-catalog streaming service At launch, Amazon offered "over 2 million songs from over 180,000 artists and over 20,000 labels, including EMI and Universal Music Group", to customers located in the United States only.<ref name="launch-pr" /> In December 2007 Warner Bros. Music Group announced that it would offer its catalog on Amazon MP3<ref name="warner">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/28/technology/28music.html|title=Amazon to Sell Warner Music Minus Copy Protection|work=The New York Times|date=December 28, 2007|access-date=December 28, 2007|last=Leeds|first=Jeff| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081211172006/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/28/technology/28music.html| archive-date=December 11, 2008| url-status= live}}</ref> and in January 2008, Sony BMG followed suit.<ref name="sony1" /><ref name="sony2" /> The current catalog is 29.1 million songs.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/s?ie%3DUTF8%26page%3D1%26rh%3Di:digital-music%2Ck:mp3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106185944/http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i:digital-music,k:mp3 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 6, 2015 |title=Amazon MP3 Song Database | website=Amazon |date=2014-05-11 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>alt=Map of global availability of Amazon Music|thumb|Global availability of Amazon Music. Yellow is Amazon Music Unlimited, red-orange is Amazon Music Prime, and orange is both Amazon Music Prime and Amazon Music Unlimited<!-- Add Brazil as orange. --> In January 2008, Amazon announced plans to roll Amazon MP3 out "internationally".<ref name="intl">[http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1100347 Amazon to Begin International Rollout of Amazon MP3 in 2008]</ref> Amazon limits international access by checking users' credit card issued country. The first international version was launched December 3, 2008 in the United Kingdom. German, Austrian,<ref name="United Kingdom">{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/14/amazon-music-unlimited-expands-to-the-uk-its-first-market-outside-the-u-s/|title=Amazon Music Unlimited expands to the UK, Germany and Austria today|last=Lunden|first=Ingrid|date=14 November 2016|work=TechCrunch|access-date=28 February 2018|language=en}}</ref> French, Japanese, Italian, Spanish,<ref name="Italy">{{Cite news|url=https://community.bose.com/t5/SoundTouch-Archive/Amazon-Music-available-in-France-Italy-Japan-and-Spain/td-p/81498|title=Amazon Music available in France, Italy, Japan, and Spain!|last=Brent_B|date=20 October 2017|work=Bose|access-date=28 February 2018|archive-date=February 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228223024/https://community.bose.com/t5/SoundTouch-Archive/Amazon-Music-available-in-France-Italy-Japan-and-Spain/td-p/81498|url-status=dead}}</ref> Canadian,<ref name= "Canada">{{Cite news|url=https://www.engadget.com/2017/11/15/amazon-alexa-prime-music-canada/|title=Amazon's Alexa and Prime Music service arrive in Canada|last=Dent|first=Steve|date=15 November 2017|work=Engadget|access-date=28 February 2018}}</ref> and Indian<ref name="India">{{Cite web|url=https://beta.techcrunch.com/2018/02/28/amazon-prime-music-india/|title=Amazon launches its Prime Music service in India|last=Russell|first=John|date=27 February 2018|website=TechCrunch|access-date=28 February 2018}}</ref> versions of the store followed.
===Amazon Music tiers=== In addition to digital purchases, Amazon Music also serves streaming music in the following tiers:
* ''Music Free'', a free ad-based service offering access to selected playlists and stations, with skip limits and shuffle playback.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amazon Music Expanded Prime Offerings - Amazon Customer Service |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=TlVm1sfVTGUp33xRRv |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=Amazon UK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Library size + Playback limitations - Prime vs Unlimited |url=https://www.amazonforum.com/s/question/0D56Q00009YtGaTSAV/library-size-playback-limitations-prime-vs-unlimited |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=www.amazonforum.com}}</ref> * ''Music Prime'', a service offering unlimited streaming of a limited music catalog, has been available to Amazon Prime subscribers at no additional cost in several countries since mid-2014.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jun/12/amazon-prime-music-streaming-spotify|title=Amazon Prime Music streaming service launches in the US with 1m songs|last=Dredge|first=Stuart|date=2014-06-12|work=The Guardian|access-date=2017-03-26|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> * ''Music Unlimited'', a full-catalog streaming service, has been available as an additional tier or as a standalone subscription since late 2016;<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/10/12/13244158/amazon-music-unlimited-launch-echo-availability-price|title=Amazon's full on-demand streaming music service launches today|date=2016-10-12|website=The Verge|access-date=2017-03-26}}</ref> though, in India, there is only one tier of Amazon Music available, known as ''Amazon Prime Music'', and is provided to all existing Prime members at no additional cost and gives access to the full catalog, including podcasts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amazon Prime Music launches podcasts for customers in India |url=https://www.afaqs.com/news/media/amazon-prime-music-launches-podcasts-for-customers-in-india |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=www.afaqs.com |language=en}}</ref>
===Country availability=== The availability of Amazon Music Services is as follows:<ref>[https://music.amazon.com/help?nodeId=202204440 Music Help: Amazon Music Services (Country List)]</ref><ref>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GW3PHAUCZM8L7W9L Amazon.com Help: What are the Differences Between the Amazon Music Subscriptions?]</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right" |- ! style="width: 150px;" | Country !! Download Store Website !! Streaming Website !! Amazon Music <br> (free with ads) !! Amazon Music Prime !! Amazon Music Unlimited !! Digital Music Store !! Music Library Service !! AutoRip |- | United States || [https://www.amazon.com/b/?node=163856011 Amazon.com Digital Music Download Store] || {{URL|https://music.amazon.com}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited plays)}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited catalog)}} || {{yes|Streaming}} || {{yes|Buy/Download}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} |- | United Kingdom || [https://www.amazon.co.uk/b/?node=77197031 Amazon.co.uk Digital Music Download Store] || {{URL|https://music.amazon.co.uk}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited plays)}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited catalog)}} || {{yes|Streaming}} || {{yes|Buy/Download}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} |- | France || [https://www.amazon.fr/b/?node=77196031 Amazon.fr Digital Music Download Store] || {{URL|https://music.amazon.fr}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited plays)}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited catalog)}} || {{yes|Streaming}} || {{yes|Buy/Download}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} |- | Germany <br> Austria || [https://www.amazon.de/b/?node=77195031 Amazon.de Digital Music Download Store] || {{URL|https://music.amazon.de}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited plays)}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited catalog)}} || {{yes|Streaming}} || {{yes|Buy/Download}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} |- | Italy || [https://www.amazon.it/b/?node=1748203031 Amazon.it Digital Music Download Store] || {{URL|https://music.amazon.it}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited plays)}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited catalog)}} || {{yes|Streaming}} || {{yes|Buy/Download}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} |- | Spain || [https://www.amazon.es/b/?node=1748200031 Amazon.es Digital Music Download Store] || {{URL|https://music.amazon.es}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited plays)}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited catalog)}} || {{yes|Streaming}} || {{yes|Buy/Download}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} |- | Switzerland || [https://www.amazon.de/b/?node=77195031 Amazon.de Digital Music Download Store] || - || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{yes|Buy/Download}} || {{yes}} || {{yes}} |- | Japan || [https://www.amazon.co.jp/b/?node=2128134051 Amazon.co.jp Digital Music Download Store] || {{URL|https://music.amazon.co.jp}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited plays)}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited catalog)}} || {{yes|Streaming}} || {{yes|Buy/Download}} || {{no}} || {{no}} |- | Canada || - || {{URL|https://music.amazon.ca}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited plays)}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited catalog)}} || {{yes|Streaming}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} |- | Australia || - || {{URL|https://music.amazon.com.au}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited plays)}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited catalog)}} || {{yes|Streaming}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} |- | Mexico || - || {{URL|https://music.amazon.com.mx}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited plays)}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited catalog)}} || {{yes|Streaming}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} |- | Brazil || - || {{URL|https://music.amazon.com.br}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited plays)}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Limited catalog)}} || {{yes|Streaming}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} |- | New Zealand || - || {{URL|https://music.amazon.com.au}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{yes|Streaming}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} |- | Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay || - || {{URL|https://music.amazon.com}} || {{partial|(Argentina, Colombia and Chile only)}} || {{no}} || {{yes|Streaming}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} |- | Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, and Sweden || - || {{URL|https://music.amazon.com}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{yes|Streaming}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} |- | India || - || {{URL|https://music.amazon.in}} || {{no}} || {{yes|Streaming <br> (Full catalog)}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} || {{no}} |- |}
==Supported platforms== Amazon Music's streaming music catalog is accessible from the Amazon.com web player using HTML DRM extensions<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amazon Kindle is Defective by Design {{!}} Defective by Design |url=https://www.defectivebydesign.org/amazon |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=www.defectivebydesign.org}}</ref> or from player apps for multiple platforms including macOS, iOS, Windows, Android, FireOS, Alexa devices, and some automobiles and smart TVs. Amazon's purchasable music catalog is accessible from the Amazon.com web site by searching for an artist or title name, or via a store embedded in many, but not all, of the player apps. To download purchased music, Amazon offers either the Amazon Music player (which runs on Windows 7 or later and Mac OS X 10.9 and later) or a zip file of MP3s downloaded from Amazon's web player.
Amazon Music previously offered additional applications, such as one for Blackberry and one for Palm. These are no longer offered. Amazon also previously offered a separate app for Mac OS X and Windows, called the Amazon Music Downloader, which is no longer available. The downloader was purely for downloading purchased tracks, it did not offer music playback capabilities.
In November 2018, it was announced that Amazon Music will be available on Android TV.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Deahl |first=Dani |date=2018-11-30 |title=Amazon Music will soon be available for Android TV |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/30/18120256/amazon-music-app-android-tv-play-store |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}</ref>
In August 2019, Amazon Music got its first smartwatch app available on selected Garmin smartwatches.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/21/20826352/amazon-music-garmin-smartwatch-app-connect-iq-music-streaming|title=Amazon Music gets its first smartwatch app|last=Porter|first=Jon|date=2019-08-21|website=The Verge|access-date=2019-08-21}}</ref>
==Partnerships==
On February 1, 2008, Pepsi introduced a Pepsi Stuff promotion in partnership with Amazon MP3.<ref name="internetnews">{{Cite web |title=Amazon, Pepsi Team For Super Bowl MP3 Giveaway - InternetNews. |url=http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3721576 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925085150/http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3721576 |archive-date=September 25, 2020 |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=www.internetnews.com |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Amazon, Pepsi Prep Massive MP3 Promotion |url=http://billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/e3ib7d80868802f32c71a03013e01994297 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080115090850/http://billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/e3ib7d80868802f32c71a03013e01994297 |archive-date=2008-01-15 |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=billboard.biz}}</ref> Customers can exchange points offered on 4 billion Pepsi bottles for, among other prizes, MP3 downloads from Warner, EMI, and Sony BMG (though not Universal). Rockstar Games' 2008 title ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' connects to Amazon MP3. Players can register on the Rockstar Games Social Club web site to receive e-mail outside the game containing a link to buy marked songs from Amazon MP3.<ref>{{Cite web |title=GTA IV Unveils New Music Download Model - Grand Theft Auto IV - Yahoo! Games |url=http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/grand-theft-auto-iv/gta-iv-unveils-new-music-download-model/1199430 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080401004050/http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/grand-theft-auto-iv/gta-iv-unveils-new-music-download-model/1199430 |archive-date=2008-04-01 |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=videogames.yahoo.com |language=en}}</ref> Myspace has sold music from Amazon MP3 as part of its MySpace Music feature since September 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mierzejewski |first=Adrian |date=2024-09-01 |title=KJC |url=https://kjc.bike/ |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=kjc.bike |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Van Buskirk |first=Eliot |date=September 24, 2008 |title=MySpace Takes On iTunes With DRM-Free, Amazon-Backed Site {{!}} Listening Post from Wired.com |url=http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/09/myspace-launche.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926010155/http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/09/myspace-launche.html |archive-date=2008-09-26 |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=blog.wired.com}}</ref> On June 24, 2021, Amazon announced its acquisition of Art19, a major podcast hosting and monetization platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carman |first=Ashley |date=2021-06-24 |title=Amazon is acquiring a podcast hosting and monetization platform |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/24/22549391/amazon-music-art19-hosting-platform-advertisers |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Reaction== Initial reaction to Amazon MP3 was generally positive. The unofficial Apple Weblog praised the lack of DRM especially given that track prices were cheaper than iTunes Plus songs at launch, but the reviewer considered the user experience better in iTunes than on the Amazon web site.<ref name="tuaw">{{Cite web |url=http://www.tuaw.com/2007/09/25/amazon-mp3-a-quick-review/ |title=Amazon MP3: a quick review |access-date=January 12, 2008 |archive-date=January 31, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150131144123/http://www.tuaw.com/2007/09/25/amazon-mp3-a-quick-review/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Om Malik also praised the lack of DRM and the high bitrate but disliked the need to install another application to download albums. Overall, the reviewer said "…I think it makes sense for everyone to browse the Amazon store before hitting the 'buy' button on iTunes."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Malik |first=Om |date=2007-09-25 |title=Amazon MP3 vs. Apple iTunes: Where Should You Shop? |url=https://gigaom.com/2007/09/25/amazon-mp3-vs-apple-itunes-whos-better-now/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911071025/https://gigaom.com/2007/09/25/amazon-mp3-vs-apple-itunes-whos-better-now/ |archive-date=2018-09-11 |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=gigaom.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Watermarking== A 2007 study by Eliot Van Buskirk of ''Wired News'''s "Listening Post" blog investigated whether Amazon MP3 was watermarking tracks with personal data. Van Buskirk quoted an Amazon spokesperson as saying, "Amazon does not apply watermarks. Files are generally provided to us from the labels and some labels use watermarks to identify the retailer who sold the tracks (there is no information on the tracks that identifies the customer)." The study concluded that although tracks may be watermarked to indicate that they were purchased on Amazon MP3, there is no data to indicate which specific customer purchased a given MP3 file.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Some of Amazon's MP3 Tracks Contain Watermarks |url=http://blog.wired.com/music/2007/09/some-of-amazons.html |access-date=2025-10-24}}</ref> This observation reflected Amazon's policy at the time.<ref name="wired">{{Cite web |title=Some Of Amazon's MP3 Tracks Contain Watermarks |url=https://www.wired.com/listening_post/2007/09/some-of-amazons/ |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=www.wired.com}}</ref>
By 2011, however, the policy had changed and certain explicitly labeled tracks embed "Record Company Required Metadata" including, among other information, unique identifiers:<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-05-23 |title=☆ GagaGate, DRM and How To Cripple The Cloud |url=https://webmink.com/2011/05/23/gagagate-drm-and-how-to-cripple-the-cloud/ |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=Wild Webmink |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Record Company Required Metadata |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=dm_adp_uits?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200422000 |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=www.amazon.com}}</ref>
<blockquote>Embedded in the metadata of each purchased MP3 from [Universal Music Group] are a random number Amazon assigns to your order, the Amazon store name, the purchase date and time, codes that identify the album and song (the UPC and ISRC), Amazon's digital signature, and an identifier that can be used to determine whether the audio has been modified. In addition, Amazon inserts the first part of the email address associated with your Amazon.com account</blockquote>
<blockquote>Music downloaded during the temporary promotional time period of trial membership will be blocked from access if the membership isn't continued.</blockquote>
==Amazon Music Player== The Amazon Music player (formerly branded Cloud Player) is integrated with the digital music Prime and Unlimited streaming services, as well as the music store for purchases (on most platforms). The players allow users to store and play their music from a web browser, mobile apps, and desktop applications, Sonos (United States only), Bose (United States only) and other platforms such as certain smart TVs.
Amazon Music Player accounts get 250 tracks of free storage; however, music purchased through Amazon MP3 store does not count towards the storage limit.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=help_search_T1_1-1?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200593930 |title=Amazon.com Getting Started: Music Store and Music Player for Web |publisher=Amazon.com |access-date=18 May 2011}}</ref> Once the music is stored in Amazon Music, a user can choose to download it to one of the Android, iOS, or desktop devices using Amazon Music application.
Music is uploaded via the Amazon Music player for PC and Mac. Previously, Amazon offered the Amazon MP3 Uploader, which was an Adobe AIR application. Amazon Music allows 10 devices (computer, browser, mobile, etc.) to be authorized. Customers can deauthorize their old devices via a web interface.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Authorizing Your Device |url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_rel_topic?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200897110 |access-date=2025-10-24 |website=www.amazon.com}}</ref> Originally bundled with Amazon Cloud Drive was the music streaming application called Cloud Player which allowed users to play their music stored in the Cloud Drive from any computer or Android device with Internet access. This was discontinued. Amazon Music for PC was launched in May 2013 as a downloadable Windows application for playing music outside a web browser. The MacOS version of Amazon Music was released in October 2013.
On December 8, 2015,<ref>{{cite web |author=Stacia Kirby |date=8 December 2015 |title=HEOS® by Denon Brings Amazon Prime Music to its Wireless Multi-Room Sound System |url=https://www.prweb.com/releases/heos_by_denon_brings_amazon_prime_music_to_its_wireless_multi_room_sound_system/prweb13120335.htm |access-date=2025-10-24 |publisher=PRWeb}}</ref> Amazon Music Prime became available on Denon® Electronics HEOS by Denon wireless sound systems, adding a new streaming outlet for music and entertainment enthusiasts.<ref>{{cite web |author=RICH EDMONDS |date=10 December 2015 |title=Tune into Amazon Prime Music on Denon HEOS wireless sound systems |url=http://www.androidcentral.com/amazon-prime-music-now-available-denons-heos-wireless-sound-system |access-date=2025-10-24 |publisher=Mobile Nations}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=RS Staff |date=9 December 2015 |title=HEOS by Denon Brings Amazon Prime Music to its Wireless Multi-Room Sound System |url=http://www.residentialsystems.com/audio/0009/heos-by-denon-brings-amazon-prime-music-to-its-wireless-multiroom-sound-system/87790 |access-date=2025-10-24 |publisher=NewBay Media, LLC}}</ref>
On October 12, 2016, '''Amazon Music Unlimited''' was released in the United States.<ref name=":0" /> Music Unlimited is a full-catalog unlimited streaming service, available as a monthly or annual subscription. It is billed in addition to, and available without an Amazon Prime account. The service later expanded to users in the United Kingdom, Germany and Austria on November 14, 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/14/amazon-music-unlimited-germany-austria-uk/|title=Amazon Music Unlimited Rolls Out Across Germany, Austria, and the U.K.|last=Hardwick|first=Tim|date=November 14, 2016 |access-date=2017-03-26}}</ref>
===Reception===
Much commentary on Amazon Music at launch focused on its legality, since Amazon launched the service without the approval of the record labels. Amazon's official statement was "Cloud Player is an application that lets customers manage and play their own music. It's like any number of existing media management applications. We do not need a license to make Cloud Player available."<ref name=ars>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/media/news/2011/03/amazon-on-cloud-player-we-dont-need-no-stinkin-licenses.ars |title=Amazon on Cloud Player: we don't need no stinkin' licenses |last=Cheng |first=Jacqui |date=29 March 2011 |work=Ars Technica |publisher=Condé Nast Digital}}</ref> Technology website Ars Technica noted that this is "seemingly logical" since users are uploading and playing back their own music, so the licenses users acquired from the original purchase apply to the Cloud Player in the same way they apply to transferring and playing music from an external hard drive or digital audio player.<ref name=ars /> Techdirt commented that the Cloud Player is "just letting people take music files they already [have], and allowing them to store and stream them from the internet. Why should it require an extra license to let people listen to music they already have?"<ref>{{cite web |last=Masnick |first=Mike |date=April 13, 2011 |title=Amazon Insists No Licenses Needed For Cloud Player, Google Thinking Of Skipping Licenses As Well |url=http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110412/12450913873/ |access-date=2025-10-24 |work=Techdirt |publisher=Floor64}}</ref>
Record labels reacted in shock to the Cloud Player's launch,<ref name="ars2">{{cite web |last=Cheng |first=Jacqui |date=31 March 2011 |title=Music industry will force licenses on Amazon Cloud Player—or else |url=https://arstechnica.com/media/news/2011/03/music-industry-will-force-licenses-on-amazon-cloud-playeror-else.ars |access-date=2025-10-24 |work=Ars Technica |publisher=Condé Nast Digital}}</ref> insisting that licenses were needed for this type of service.
==See also== * Amazon Video * Kindle Store * Amazon Digital Software & Video Games * Amazon Appstore
==References== {{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links== {{commons category}} *{{official website|https://music.amazon.com/}}
{{Amazon}} {{Music streaming services}} {{Music digital distribution platforms}} {{Portal bar|Internet|Technology|Music}}
Category:Amazon (company) Category:Online music stores of the United States Category:IOS software Category:Android (operating system) software Category:Android Auto software Category:Music streaming services Category:Podcasting companies