Free versions of music streaming services are launched by Google and Amazon to challenge the spot for the world’s renowned music streaming app Spotify, Swedish music streaming company.
These free services are offered by the technology giants – Amazon and Google on their respective smart speakers: Amazon Echo and Google Home.
The users of Alexa powered Echo devices can use the free version of Amazon Music Limited, including Advertising. You can simply request the device for your favorite music using your voice. However, this free service is restricted to the US as of now.
On the other hand, Google has launched its free YouTube Music services supported by adverts in 16 countries.
Spotify launched its streaming services on 7th October 2008 while Google-owned YouTube ventured with YouTube Music in the month of March. Amazon is primarily offering a limited song catalog at no additional subscription cost. Few record labels shall be paid by Amazon per stream.
Amazon offers a number of services under Prime Subscription. It currently offers free 2 million songs to the Eco users with a subscription cost of £79 yearly. Amazon Music app has more than 100 million downloads, but since the last four months, the popularity of this app is falling. In January, it stood at No. 10 which is currently dropped to No. 28 on popularity charts.
This free service launch by Amazon and Google has built a pressure on Spotify which was earlier, the only company offering the free music streaming services in order to offer parts of its app. Currently. Spotify has more than 170 million active users. It successfully allures the free users to convert into paid Spotify Premium services.
This ad-supported free service is beneficial to the company as it opens the new avenues of revenue as well as to the Eco owners who do not have access to the Amazon paid subscription.
The only ad-supported selection shall be available to the free users to play songs from the top playlists using their smart speakers. YouTube Music also facilitates the users to search their songs using genre.
