The possibilities for using a smartphone are seemingly infinite thanks to the various platforms available. From watching sports to catching up with friends, or listening to music, consumers have endless options, including many online games to choose from. Those platforms aiming for the most substantial growth, focus on making life easier for the user; apps such as Uber, Amazon, and social networking platforms TikTok and Facebook thrive on a straightforward and clean design an function

Growth, however, can bring monopoly.  Some of these apps have a strong market position in their specific industry. Take Spotify, which has 286 million monthly users, compared to 60 million for Apple Music. The streaming service not only has a majority of the market over other streaming behemoths but also over the various ways to listen to music. Spotify users can stream music on the go, which is the preferred modern method of music consumption over CD or Vinyl. This competition isn’t a problem for the consumer; it typically improves the user experience (UX) by providing more content and greater app integration.

Now, however, Amazon has entered the music streaming market. Prime Music is a new service that gives its subscribers access to over 1 million songs and hundreds of tailored playlists. The announcement that music will soon be added to the long list of benefits that come with Prime’s $99 annual subscription cost was well received. Currently, the benefits include Amazon’s expedited shipping, Prime Instant Videos, on-demand movies and TV shows, and Kindle ebook lending. Like Instant Video before it, Prime Music is Amazon’s latest attempt to shake up a stiflingly competitive business.

For Prime Music to be as successful as its competitors , Amazon needed to make everything as smooth as possible. As a result, the new streaming service isn’t a separate app; instead, it’s integrated into Amazon’s existing software. After installing an update, you’ll find it in the music area of the Kindle Fire HDX/HD, and Amazon Music will replace the Amazon MP3 and Cloud Player apps on Android and iOS, respectively. In addition, it can be accessed directly from Amazon’s homepage on the internet.

A platform like Amazon gives consumers various other options other than music. But Spotify or Apple Music is focused on music. Putting the Universal issue aside, Amazon’s Prime Music service is quite good. But is it enough to be your sole source of music? We’re not sure. For us, it does not fulfill that standard. We have already succumbed to Spotify and its vast library, and doubt we’re alone. However, it’s estimated that at least 20 million people have signed up for Prime and they’ve all received a massive amount of free music – even if it’s only 1 million tracks. That’s a lot of content, and coupled with the various benefits already accessible on Prime, provide a tempting offer to consumers. . It’s an indication of how cutthroat the streaming music industry has grown.

This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2022.