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Tag: Apple Music

  • Amazon announces lossless streaming with Amazon Music HD

    Amazon announces lossless streaming with Amazon Music HD

    To better compete with the likes of Apple Music and Spotify, Amazon has rolled out a lossless streaming tier called Amazon Music HD. The company claims that this new tier added to its existing music service allows subscribers to listen to more than 50 million songs in high-definition.

    Amazon Music HD costs $12.99 a month for Amazon Prime members and $14.99 a month for non-Prime users. The new service will offer songs with a bit depth of 16 bits and a sample rate of 44.1 kHz. Besides, Amazon claims that customers will be able to stream around a ‘million songs’ in  Ultra HD, which offers a bit depth of 24 bits and a sample rate of up to 192 kHz.

    “We spoke with many artists while developing Amazon Music HD, who were excited about the potential for fans to be able to stream their favorite music and hear as it was originally recorded. From rock to hip-hop to classical and pop, we believe listening to music at this level of sound will make customers fall in love again with their favorite music and artists,” said Amazon Music vice president Steve Boom.

    Amazon recommends that users have a data speed of at least 1.5Mbps. Besides, the company also notes that sound quality and compatibility are hardware dependent. Amazon Music HD is compatible with a wide range of iOS and Android devices, including both desktop and mobile. The service is also available on some Echo devices, Fire TV, as well as Fire tablets. Amazon Music HD is now available in the US, UK, Germany, and Japan. The company is also offering a 90-day free trial for users to try out the new lossless streaming tier.

    For now, Spotify and Apple Music rule the roost when it comes to music streaming services. Spotify is a globally popular brand and Apple has partnered with several carriers in the US to boost the popularity of its music service. Amazon’s latest move can certainly attract more users to subscribe to its service. And if Amazon’s newly added lossless streaming tier turns out to be a success, we won’t be surprised if the likes of Spotify and Apple Music come up with something similar.

  • Apple Music finally arrives on Amazon Echo speakers

    Apple Music finally arrives on Amazon Echo speakers

    Apple Music support has finally arrived on Amazon Echo spekaers in the United States via the Alexa app on Android and iOS. Users can now sync their Apple Music account with Echo speakers via the Alexa app and enjoy Apple’s streaming service using Alexa voice control. The iPhone-maker’s streaming service now joins the likes of Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, as well as Amazon’s own music service on Alexa devices.

    Apple Music subscribers can set the service as their default music service on Alexa. Now, this essentially lets you play songs directly via Apple’s music service without having to tell Alexa which service to use every time.

    There are some HomePod feaures that Apple Music misses on Alexa. That said, the integration of Apple’s music streaming service with Alexa is a great addition for Echo users. They can control playback on Alexa, and even play Apple Music on speaker groups created using the Alexa app. Besides, users can also set alarms to music on Echo speakers.

    For now, Apple’s music streaming service is only supported by Echo speakers, therefore, you cannot control the service with Alexa on speakers like Sonos, even if they offer support for the iPhone-maker’s service.

    To recall , Amazon recently signed a new deal with Apple to sell Cupertino’s latest products such as iPhone XS and iPhone XR via its online store. That said, Amazon will not sell Apple’s HomePod speaker through its ecommerce store, as it directly competes with Amazon’s own smart speakers. Not to mention, Amazon also doesn’t sell Google’s Home devices on its platform.

    Have you tried Apple Music with your Amazon Echo speakers yet? Do let us know in the comments below

  • Apple Music subscribers can get the HomePod at a lower price

    Apple Music subscribers can get the HomePod at a lower price

    Apple is now offering promo codes to Apple Music subscribers that gives them a chance to buy HomePod at a discounted price. That said, it’s a holiday-themed promotion and is available for a limited period of time only.

    As of now, customers in the UK have received codes worth £50, which brings down the price of the HomePod to £269. Apple is sending emails to users who’ve tried Apple Music. These emails contain a button style link which includes the promo code, and users redirected to the official Apple website with the promotional offer applied.

    Preliminary reports indicate that only customers in the UK have received such promo codes. These codes are valid only until December 16, so you only have a couple of days to take advantage of the deal.

    Besides, even if you get the promo code from a friend of yours, the code will most likely be accepted during checkout at the Apple Store. Not to mention, users shouldn’t worry about a phishing attack if they receive an email from Apple asking to ‘Get Your Promo Code’, as it’s a legitimate email.

    However, at the time of wriitng, it’s still unclear whether similar offers will be available in other regions across th globe. We’ll update this article as soon as we hear anything new. Until then, keep checking back for more.

  • Apple Music set to arrive on Amazon Echo on December 17

    Apple Music set to arrive on Amazon Echo on December 17

    Apple Music is slated to arrive on Amazon Echo and Alexa-powered smart speakers starting Decemebr 17, confirmed Amazon in a blog post. The announcement comes shortly after Amazon said it has joined hands with Apple to sell its latest products via its online store. Besides, the move appears mutually beneficial for both parties as music services from both companies aren’t doing particularly well.

    Starting December 17, subscribers of Apple Music will be able to play music on demand via Amazon Echo smart devices. The iPhone-maker’s streaming service now joins the likes of Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, as well as Amazon’s own music service on Alexa devices.

    “Music is one of the most popular features on Alexa—since we launched Alexa four years ago, customers are listening to more music in their homes than ever before. We are committed to offering great music providers to our customers and since launching the Music Skill API to developers just last month, we’ve expanded the music selection on Alexa to include even more top tier services. We’re thrilled to bring Apple Music – one of the most popular music services in the US – to Echo customers this holiday,” said Dave Limp, senior vice president, Amazon Devices.

    Amazon recently opened up Alexa to more third party music services when it rolled out its Music Skill API in November. This essentially allows third party services to utilize a host of Alexa capabilties across a range of smart devices. These include multi-room audio, using music as Alarms, and more.

    To recall , Amazon recently signed a new deal with Apple to sell Cupertino’s latest products such as iPhone XS and iPhone XR via its online store. However, Amazon will not sell Apple’s HomePod speaker through its ecommerce store, as it directly competes with Amazon’s own smart speakers. Not to metnion, Amazon also doesn’t sell Google’s Home devices on its platform.