Amazon has been stepping up its video streaming game to better compete with Netflix, and is even planning to release its own YouTube competitor, but it’s expansion into the entertainment industry isn’t limited to video centric services. According to a report from Reuters on Friday, Amazon is planning to launch a standalone music-streaming service in the near future that will compete with the likes of Apple Music and Spotify. Amazon Prime subscribers already have access to limited music streaming, but this standalone service will be significantly more fleshed out and feature-rich, with a much larger catalog of music.
Amazon is looking to compete more directly with Spotify and Apple with the launch of a new music streaming service, according to a report from Reuters. The service, per Reuters’ anonymous sources, is expected to launch by early Fall and will cost $9.99 a month for access to a library of streaming songs. The Seattle-based e-commerce giant is said to be finalizing its deals with the major music labels. Amazon already offers music streaming through its Prime Music service, an add-on feature available to people who subscribe to the $99 annual Prime membership. That membership also includes access to Prime Video, which streams original and licensed TV shows and movies. These services have traditionally come bundled together but the Jeff Bezos-led company recently has shown a willingness to separate them. In April, Amazon announced that it would begin offering an $8.99 monthly subscription to just Prime Video, a move aimed directly at competitors like Netflix and Hulu.
