This summer, Amazon Prime members will be getting a new benefit as part of their membership, as the online retailer/mobile device maker/video streaming company will be adding a music streaming service to its resume. The new service will launch sometime in June or July, says a new report from Buzzfeed.
MacRumors notes that Amazon’s streaming catalog will only include songs older than six months, likely saving the company on royalty costs. Competing services such as Spotify, and Apple’s recently acquired Beats Music, serve up new releases to their subscribers.
The company will expand its Prime membership offerings by adding a stockpile of old and newish music for subscribers to stream on demand. The Prime music service, which is scheduled to launch this June or July, will not include recent releases but instead restrict its catalog to songs and albums that are 6 months old and older, five music industry sources familiar with the company’s plans confirmed to BuzzFeed.
Amazon currently boasts around 20 million paying Prime members, offering them free 2-day shipping on purchases, along with a video streaming service via apps for mobile devices, smart TVs, and set-top boxes, including their own Fire TV.
Amazon recently signed a deal with HBO to stream the cable network’s older content to Prime subscribers.
Amazon Prime membership is $99 per year, and is available at the Amazon.com website.
