Amazon could use the profits from its main business to launch a free version of its music streaming service in the coming weeks. The possibility of Amazon offering a free option was expected, especially when its competition such as Spotify and others like Gaana and JioSaavn in India, offer their content without having users pay for it.
The free tier option will be offered to those who want to use Amazon’s music catalogue, without paying for its Prime (video and delivery included) membership. We’re not sure if Amazon will offer the free model within the existing Prime Music app, with ads intruding during the music playback, or come out with a new app altogether.
Apple Music is the only other music-streaming platform which offers paid-only plans, even though you get a three-month free trial which can be stopped anytime before the allowed time frame.
Either ways, Amazon looks to enhance its profile as a music-streaming platform with its upcoming move, which could also make its way to the Indian market, where the music streaming market is set to explode according to a recent industry report.
Amazon Music, in its free avatar will work in the same as Spotify, Gaana and JioSaavn does. Having said that, reports suggest Amazon could limit its catalogue for freemium users, who will also have to bear the ads that’ll keep popping up.
Free service is a big lure to get new users on board, something that Spotify had to offer for the first time when it launched in the Indian market earlier this year.
It’s also possible that the free version of Amazon Music won’t let users rewind or skip a track and limit the number of devices on which the service will work. This way people signing up for the free version see its limitations, and Amazon hopefully can bank on them switching to the paid model eventually.
Considering Amazon Prime Music already costs much lower in India (Rs 999 for one year) than its other markets, it will be interesting to see if and when, the free version is announced, Amazon decides to make it available to Indian users as well or not.
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