Amazon Adds New Content and Features for Prime Members

Amazon has expanded the amount of music, podcasts and features available on Amazon Music at no additional cost to Prime subscribers.

The number of songs available to Prime members on Amazon Music has been boosted from 2 million to 100 million. The songs can be streamed ad-free, the company said Tuesday (Nov. 1) in a press release.

Also available to members are new Amazon Exclusive podcasts that are being added to what Amazon said in the release is already the largest selection of ad-free podcasts available on demand. Among the exclusive podcasts launched on Amazon Tuesday are ones hosted by actress and entrepreneur Keke Palmer, actress Carey Mulligan and former NBA player JJ Redick.

In addition, the Amazon Music app has been updated to include a new Podcast Previews feature that delivers short soundbites from podcast episodes to help customers choose from the shows they are browsing, the release stated.

This helps solve a common complaint among subscribers to streaming services as, industry-wide, three out of five subscribers are annoyed with the experience of searching for content they want.

As PYMNTS reported in April, there are almost 166 million Amazon Prime members.

Amazon Prime features free delivery in one or two days and free same-day delivery for orders of at least $25, as well as streaming and digital perks including Amazon Music, Prime Video, Prime Gaming and Prime Reading, according to the PYMNTS report, “The Benefits of Membership: Mass Retailers and Subscription Services.”

“[Consumers’] varied preferences indicate that different types of subscriptions are likely to appeal to consumers with select priorities,” PYMNTS said in the report. “Mass retailers that take note of their core consumers’ preferences and tailor their subscription offerings with them in mind are more likely to grow their membership bases.”