Apple TV Users Can Now Stream Amazon Music

Amazon Music is now available on Apple TV in 13 countries, including the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia, as reported on Thursday (Oct. 10). Supporting one another’s streaming services indicates that friction between two rivals has been somewhat alleviated.

The app can be paired through a browser, allowing users to listen to Prime Music or Music Unlimited. Listeners will also have access to all purchased and imported music, complete with synced lyrics.

This is the latest in recent moves showing that the two big tech firms are trying to work together. Apple Music is available on Amazon’s Echo, and last year Amazon expanded its assortment of Apple inventory.

Fire TV will also join Apple TV; Amazon Prime Video has been available on the platform since December 2017.

Apple has been the target of several global antitrust probes, and this move with Amazon shows cooperation with its competition.

Spotify also launched on Apple TV this week. In the past, Spotify has alleged that Apple engages in anti-competitive tactics by assessing fees and controlling app updates.

Although Apple is playing nice with competitors, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is reportedly carrying out an antitrust investigation surrounding a partnership between Apple and Amazon.

The tech giants made a deal last year that would allow Apple to sell its products directly to consumers through an official store on the Amazon site. While the move allegedly aimed to prevent counterfeit goods and make the products more available to the eCommerce giant’s customers, concerns were raised that it was also cutting out most third-party sellers. In fact, most will be barred from selling any Apple products.

One antitrust expert has already said the deal is likely illegal. “You put a gate around the brand and say all the third-party sellers of whatever that brand is get a notice saying you can no longer sell this product on our platform unless you get authorization from the brand,” Sally Hubbard, an antitrust expert and the director of enforcement strategy at the OpenMarkets Institute, said in August. “But, of course, the brand is not going to let you sell if you’re under the [minimum advertised price]. Problem is that it’s illegal under antitrust law.”