(CelebrityAccess) — Online retail behemoth Amazon is preparing to launch their own streaming music service, lining the company up to compete with players such as Apple, Spotify and Pandora.
According to Reuters, Amazon's service will offer a competitive catalog and price of $9.99 a month. Reuters said Amazon finalizing its licensing agreements with the labels and is looking to launch the service in the late summer or early fall.
Amazon already offers a limited selection catalog for free to their Amazon Prime shipping and video service members. The company did not respond to a request for additional information about the new paid tier Reuters said.
Amazon's new foray into the world of streaming music will likely bolster their Amazon Echo product, an internet connected device that responds to voice commands and is already integrated with Spotify. Released last year, the Echo proved to be a surprise hit for Amazon, prompting imitation from rivals such as Google.
“A music service will further increase the daily interactions between Amazon and its customer base,” former music executive Jay Samit told Reuters when told about the company's plan. – Staff Writers
