Amazon Music Goes Ultra-High-Definition

Thanks to a partnership with Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, thousands of tunes on Amazon Music will be retooled to ultra-high-definition, Amazon announced on Friday (Oct. 2).

For the first time, music from Marvin Gaye, Nirvana, Diana Ross, Lady Gaga, The Notorious B.I.G., Ariana Grande and more have been remastered to the highest-quality streaming audio on Amazon Music HD.

“We launched Amazon Music HD last year with a promise to always offer our customers the best quality recording available for streaming,” said Steve Boom, Amazon Music’s vice president, in a statement. “With this partnership, we are building upon that promise by upgrading existing recordings to make the listening experience even better, and preserving artistic legacy for future generations.”

Amazon Music HD offers streaming of five million songs in Ultra HD and more than 60 million tunes in HD. It costs $14.99 per month, or $12.99 for Prime members.

AndroidAuthority.com reported last month that Spotify might still be the biggest music streaming platform in the world, but Apple Music is nipping at its heels. Since 2015, Apple has grown to more than 70 million subscribers, the website reported.

Apple Music offers more than 50 million songs available on the cloud. It also hosts several free online radio stations broadcasting 24 hours a day in more than 160 countries. It launched in 2015 after Apple’s acquisition of Beats.

Unlike Apple TV Plus, the music platform is available on more than just Apple devices.

Earlier this year, Apple infused new energy into its music offering via a new and potentially big duet with the NBA. Apple and the most lucrative pro basketball league in the world announced a partnership that includes an Apple Music playlist featuring independent artists from an emerging label.

Jeff Marsilio, the NBA’s senior vice president of new media distribution, said the tracks will also be on the organization’s website, on its app and featured on social media game highlights.

While Apple will operate the playlist, a startup label called UnitedMasters, founded in 2017, will provide much of the music. That label has taken a relatively fresh approach to getting music to consumers, connecting some 190,000 independent artists to listeners through direct partnerships with brands.