This news is likely to be closely followed by Spotify.
Amazon has confirmed that starting of May 5, the pricing of two of its most popular streaming music subscriptions will increase in numerous markets.
The Amazon Music Unlimited Individual Plan – which includes unlimited on-demand streaming for users who are also Amazon Prime members – is the first of these plans.
This plan was originally available to Prime subscribers in the United States for $7.99 per month. This pricing point will climb to $8.99 per month starting in May.
Individual Prime Members in the United States, on the other hand, will be able to purchase an annual subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited for $89, up from $79 a year.
According to Amazon FAQ pages in each of these territories, Amazon is raising the price of the Amazon Music Unlimited Individual Plan (for Prime members) in the US, the UK, and Canada.
Customers without an Amazon Prime membership will continue to pay the same $9.99 per month (US) for Amazon Music Unlimited.
The Amazon Music Single-Device Plan, which gives users access to the whole Amazon Music Unlimited service but is confined to a single compatible Echo or Fire TV device, is also being doubled in price.
This plan costs $3.99 per month in the United States and will raise to $4.99 per month in May.
The Amazon Music Single-Device Plan is becoming more popular in Australia and New Zealand, as well as France and Brazil, as well as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
Concerned consumers were warned this week that Amazon is “updating the cost of various Amazon Music Unlimited plans” in order to “help us give you even more content and advantages.”
Since its introduction in 2011, Spotify, the world’s largest audio streaming service, has cost $9.99 a month for Premium individual members in the United States.
After accounting for inflation, that same amount of money is now only worth $7.99 in actual dollars.
In April 2021, SPOT increased the monthly price of Premium Family in 12 locations, including the United States, where it jumped from $14.99 to $15.99.
In July 2018, the firm ‘tried’ a 10% price hike on its basic Premium, Student, and Premium Family Plans in Norway, and the pricing have stayed unchanged since then.
Amazon’s price hikes come after Netflix, the world’s largest movie streaming service, raised its prices earlier this year.
The company raised its subscription pricing in the United States and Canada in January.
In the United States, Netflix increased the price of its Standard plan, which allows customers to view on two screens at the same time, from $13.99 to $15.49 per month.
In the meantime, Netflix’s Basic plan, which only allows members to view on one screen and download to one device, has increased by $1 to $9.99 per month in the United States.
Netflix’s Premium package, which allows customers to view on four screens at once and download to four devices, has increased by $2 to $19.99 per month.
The Amazon Music Single-Device Plan in the United Kingdom will increase from £3.99 to £4.99 per month.
The Amazon Music Unlimited Individual Plan will increase from £7.99 per month to £8.99 per month, or £79 to £89 per year.
In Australia, the Amazon Music Single-Device Plan will increase from AUD $4.99 to AUD $5.99 per month, while in New Zealand, it will increase from NZD $5.49 to NZD $6.49 per month.
In Canada, the Amazon Music Single-Device Plan will increase to CAD $4.99 per month, while the Amazon Music Unlimited Individual Plan will increase to CAD $7.99 per month, or CAD $79 to CAD $89 each year.
The Amazon Music Single-Device Plan in France will increase from €3.99 to €4.99 per month.
In Brazil, the Amazon Music Single-Device Plan is changing from R$6.90 to R$8.49 per month.
Amazon’s music streaming price bump follows the news in February that the cost of its Amazon Prime service was increasing in the US from the $119 to $139 per year.