Starting February 21st, Amazon’s Music Unlimited streaming service will increase in price by $1/£1 in the US and UK. Changed from $4.99 (£4.99) to $5.99 (£5.99) per month.
The company pointed out the price change on its support page, which Billboard first noticed. is writing
The company has mentioned price increases for its individual and student plans, but it looks like the family plan ($15.99/month) and single-device plan ($4.99/month) remain unchanged.
It’s only been eight months since Amazon last raised prices. In May, the discounted Amazon Music Unlimited plan for Amazon Prime customers increased from $7.99 to $8.99 per month. This time, non-Prime members experienced no change and had to pay $9.99 per month.
Amazon also offers an Amazon Music Prime tier. It’s included free with Prime subscriptions and offers ad-free listening. However, if the user wants his HD, Ultra HD, and spatial audio, he must subscribe to Music Unlimited.
The e-commerce giant is currently in the midst of cost cutting, including the recent closure of its charitable donation program AmazonSmile and its decision to lay off 18,000 employees earlier this month.
Amazon’s decision to raise costs comes on the heels of Apple raising the price of rival music streaming subscription Apple Music by $1 for individual U.S. subscribers and $2 for families. Canada and UK in June 2022.
Spotify is also considering raising subscription prices in the US, CEO Daniel Ek said on the company’s earnings call in October. “[Price increases] It’s one of the things we want to do,” Ek said. “I feel really good about this coming year and what that means for the pricing associated with our service.” This would be a notable move for the company, as it hasn’t increased its subscription fees.
