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Amazon Music Unlimited vs. Spotify: Which Music Service Is Best?

The big difference between Spotify and Amazon Music Unlimited is Amazon offers an affordable tier of service available on just one Echo device. Here's how else they differ.

By Eric Griffith
March 16, 2020

In the summer of 2015, Apple took on Spotify with Apple Music, a paid music service built into the iOS Music app. Sixteen months later, Amazon—never one to be left out of the digital playground fun—launched a very similar service, Amazon Music Unlimited.

Music is nothing new to Amazon. It's been selling MP3s for years, while Prime members can access 2 million tracks via Amazon Prime Music(Prime costs $119 per year). Amazon Music Unlimited expands that catalog to 50 million songs.

The big difference between Spotify and Amazon Music Unlimited is Amazon offers a tier of service for use on one Echo device for $3.99 per month; just ask your Alexa device to start a free trial. To use it on more than one Echo or on other devices, Prime members pay $7.99 per month or $79 per year; a family plan costs $14.99 per month or $149 per year. Non-Prime members pay $9.99 per month—same as Spotify (which can also be accessed on Echo devices).

Amazon Music HD

There's also a tier called Amazon Music HD, which means all 50 million songs are played at the highest quality bitrate available with a few million that are lossless "ultra HD" at 10x the bitrate (around 850Kbps on average); that costs audiophiles an extra $5 per month (so $14.99 for non-Prime users total) or $50 per year plus tax. You can try it free for 30 days and can only listen in HD on the desktop or mobile apps and newer high-end Echo devices like the Echo Studio and Echo Link Amp.

Basically, if you're a fan of Amazon hardware, you're going to probably want Amazon Music Unlimited as your choice.

Just how does Amazon's service compare to Spotify in the details? Here's a breakdown.

For more, check out our picks for Best Online Music Streaming Services.

Spotify Premium now has 100 million global users
PCMag Logo Spotify Premium now has 100 million global users

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About Eric Griffith

Senior Editor, Features

I've been writing about computers, the internet, and technology professionally for over 30 years, more than half of that time with PCMag. I run several special projects including the Readers' Choice and Business Choice surveys, and yearly coverage of the Best ISPs and Best Gaming ISPs, plus Best Products of the Year and Best Brands. I work from my home, and did it long before pandemics made it cool.

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