Buzzfeed Reports Indicate Amazon Music Streaming Service Could Arrive Within Weeks

All trends indicate that streaming and other music-subscription services represent the future of the music industry, and another huge player is aiming to join the growing number of streaming programs on the market. Sources indicate that Amazon will launch its previously announced variant, possibly within a few weeks.

Buzzfeed's reports indicate that the retail website will offer its streaming program within Amazon Prime, a premium subscription program that also offers express shipping and access to videos on the site's Instant Video service. Amazon hasn't confirmed the reports yet.

The streaming service is, again based on rumors, similar to that of the Instant Video program. Amazon Prime users can watch a number of videos and movies as many times as they want, but many films remains unavailable without paying a fee. The music service would offer access to a large catalogue, but music released within six months of the date would not be available. That would seem to put it at a significant disadvantage compared to Spotify. The offering will do more to lure potential Prime subscribers who have interest in its other perks, if not buyers looking strictly for music access.

The smaller catalogue available might be due to the terms of the potential agreement. Amazon hasn't commented on this either bit earlier reports indicate that the site initially offered a total of $25 million collectively to the major labels for licensing rights, an offer that gives new meaning to the word "frugal." Its offer to independent labels was even more eye-opening: a reported $5 million between them. It's a ploy that's helped Amazon come to dominate e-sales of books, but we'll have to see how it works with music.

Stay tuned for more official announcements.

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