Is Prime Music the same as Amazon Music?
Introducing Prime Music and Amazon Music
Prime Music and Amazon Music are both music streaming services operated by Amazon. Prime Music is included as part of an Amazon Prime membership at no additional cost. Amazon Music is a premium service that provides access to a larger catalog of songs for an additional monthly subscription fee.
Prime Music gives Prime members access to 2 million songs and thousands of playlists and stations ad-free (Wikipedia). In contrast, Amazon Music has over 75 million songs in its catalog for subscribers to its Unlimited and Hi-Definition plans (Amazon).
Both services offer curated playlists and radio stations. However, Amazon Music provides additional features like high-quality audio, offline listening, and access across more devices. While Prime Music meets basic music streaming needs, Amazon Music offers a full-featured premium experience.
Catalog Size
One major difference between Prime Music and Amazon Music Unlimited is the size of their respective catalogs of songs available to stream. According to Amazon’s help page, Prime Music gives access to 2 million songs, while Amazon Music Unlimited provides access to over 50 million songs.
The 2 million song catalog of Prime Music still offers a substantial selection, but is dwarfed by the over 50 million songs available through Amazon Music Unlimited. For comparison, Spotify claims to have over 70 million songs. So Amazon Music Unlimited is competitively sized, while Prime Music’s catalog is more limited.
For most mainstream and popular music listening, Prime Music’s 2 million songs will likely suffice. But listeners with more eclectic tastes, or who want access to extensive catalogs of older and more obscure music, will need to opt for the larger selection of Amazon Music Unlimited.
Audio Quality
Prime Music streams music at up to 320 Kbps, according to Tom’s Guide. This bitrate level provides reasonably good audio quality for most listeners. However, Amazon Music Unlimited offers a higher maximum bitrate of 850 Kbps for songs encoded in the lossless FLAC format, as noted by TunePat. With lossless audio, listeners can experience CD-quality playback without any degradation from audio compression.
So in summary, Prime Music offers good but not great audio quality at 320 Kbps, while Music Unlimited gives you the option to stream lossless CD-quality audio at 850 Kbps for discerning listeners who want the highest fidelity.
Offline Listening
One key difference between Prime Music and Amazon Music Unlimited is the ability to download songs, albums, and playlists for offline listening. With an Amazon Music Unlimited subscription, you can download content in Standard, HD, Ultra HD or Spatial Audio quality to listen when offline across supported devices (Amazon). The number of offline downloads is unlimited. This allows Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers to enjoy their music library even without an internet connection.
In comparison, Prime Music does not offer any offline listening capabilities. Songs cannot be downloaded for offline playback. An internet connection is required to stream music through Prime Music. This limits the ability to listen on the go, such as while traveling or commuting where internet connectivity may be limited. Only with an Amazon Music Unlimited subscription can you unlock true offline access across mobile and desktop.
Supported Devices
One key difference between Prime Music and Amazon Music is the devices supported by each service. Prime Music is available on all Amazon Echo devices including Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Show as well as Fire TV and Fire Tablets (Amazon). It can also be accessed through the Amazon Music app on Android and iOS devices.
Amazon Music has wider device support and can be played on Echo devices, Fire TV, iOS, Android, PC, Mac, and other platforms like Sonos, Bose, HEOS, and many car infotainment systems (Android Central). So while Prime Music is limited mostly to Amazon’s own hardware ecosystem, Amazon Music has nearly universal device support.
In summary, Prime Music works great if you primarily use Amazon devices, but Amazon Music supports many more platforms and audio systems if you want fuller access across devices.
Price
The monthly subscription cost for Prime Music is free for Amazon Prime members, while the monthly cost for Amazon Music Unlimited is $7.99 per month for Prime members or $9.99 per month for non-Prime members (Source). There is also an annual plan for Amazon Music Unlimited at $79 per year for Prime members or $99 per year for non-Prime members, which can save about $20-40 per year compared to paying monthly (Source).
So in summary, Prime Music has no additional monthly cost beyond the $14.99 per month Amazon Prime membership fee, while Amazon Music Unlimited ranges from $7.99-$9.99 per month depending on Prime status, or $79-$99 per year. The annual plans for Amazon Music Unlimited offer some savings compared to paying monthly.
Music Discovery
When it comes to discovering new music, Prime Music and Amazon Music Unlimited take different approaches. Prime Music focuses more on curated playlists and stations based on genres, activities, decades, and moods. It utilizes recommendations based on listening history to suggest new artists and playlists. However, music discovery capabilities are more limited compared to Amazon Music Unlimited.
Amazon Music Unlimited provides advanced personalization features and algorithms to recommend new music based on listening habits and liked songs/artists. It offers personalized playlists like Discover Weekly and My Soundtrack which continuously update with new song suggestions. The service also provides customized stations, new releases playlists, and the ability to look up song lyrics. Overall, Amazon Music Unlimited offers more robust music discovery through personalized recommendations and advanced algorithms compared to Prime Music.
According to Amazon’s website, “With Amazon Music Unlimited, you can play tens of millions of songs and thousands of expert-programmed playlists and stations” (source). So music fans who want more discovery options and advanced personalization should consider the Unlimited tier.
Curated Content
Both Prime Music and Amazon Music offer curated playlists and stations across various genres and moods. However, Amazon Music has a much more extensive selection of expertly crafted playlists and stations. Amazon Music offers thousands of playlists focused on popular genres, eras, activities, moods, and more. Top playlists on Amazon Music include “Mellow ’70s Gold”, “Country Heat”, and “Piano Hymns”. There are hundreds of genre stations ranging from pop and rock to jazz and classical. Amazon Music also features exclusive stations created by popular artists.
In comparison, Prime Music has a limited catalog of a few hundred curated playlists and stations. The selection focuses on popular genres and moods but does not go very deep. Prime Music lacks the breadth and depth of expertly curated content that sets Amazon Music apart. While Prime Music offers adequate curated listening options, Amazon Music provides a much more robust and diverse selection of playlists and stations crafted by music experts.
Account Linking
One of the key differences between Prime Music and Amazon Music is that they can be linked to the same Amazon account, allowing access to both services through a single login. As noted on Amazon’s website, “If you join Amazon Music Unlimited, your Amazon Music and Prime Music libraries and settings will be merged so you can access both music services from one Amazon Music app. This allows you to get the benefits of both music services without switching between apps.” (Source).
This means that Prime members can upgrade to Amazon Music Unlimited to gain access to an expanded catalog of over 90 million songs, while still retaining access to the 2 million songs available through Prime Music. The ability to combine libraries is a major advantage, granting broader music selection without having to juggle multiple accounts or apps. Whether using the Amazon Music mobile app, web player, or Alexa voice commands, customers with both Prime and Music Unlimited can seamlessly search the full combined catalog.
Key Differences
While Prime Music and Amazon Music share the Amazon Music brand, there are some important differences between the two services:
Prime Music is included with an Amazon Prime membership and provides access to 2 million songs. Amazon Music Unlimited has over 75 million songs and requires its own separate subscription starting at $7.99 per month.
Prime Music offers standard audio quality while Music Unlimited provides HD, Ultra HD, and spatial audio options. Music Unlimited also allows downloading songs for offline listening, which isn’t available with Prime Music.
Both services are available across Alexa-enabled devices, mobile apps, computers, and other compatible products. However, Music Unlimited offers higher quality audio and more features including offline downloads and access to a much larger catalog.
In summary, Prime Music provides a more basic music streaming experience and is free for Prime members. Music Unlimited costs extra but offers a premium service with many more songs, higher quality audio, and additional features like offline listening.(Source 1)(Source 2)