From July 2, Amazon will charge you extra for ad-free music, no relief for Prime members

Amazon has introduced a new premium music subscription plan in India called Amazon Music Unlimited. The plan finally brings Amazon Music up-to-speed with high-res audio playback support for a seemingly more immersive listening experience than before. The plan however comes with a twist for existing Amazon Music users in that, with the announcement, Amazon is also moving ad-free music and downloads behind a paywall. Even Prime members are not spared. From July 2, you will start to hear advertisements on Amazon Music, unless you opt for the new Amazon Music Unlimited plan. Prime Members can avail it for Rs 99 a month while for everyone else, the Music Unlimited plan from Amazon will cost Rs 119.

What's new with Amazon Music Unlimited

What was previously available as a single Amazon Prime Music tier has now been split into three tiers in India: Amazon Music Unlimited, Amazon Music for Prime members, and Amazon Music Free. Earlier, Prime members could enjoy ad-free music streaming and offline downloads at no additional cost. With the launch of Amazon Music Unlimited, features such as ad-free listening and offline downloads have moved to a separate paid subscription. Prime members will continue to have access to Amazon Music, but the service will include advertisements and lack support for offline downloads starting July 2.\

The e-commerce giant stated that the new Amazon Music Unlimited offers access to more than 100 million songs and podcasts, including access to HD, Ultra HD, and Spatial Audio formats and support for Dolby Atmos.

Meanwhile, Amazon has also confirmed that an ad-supported Amazon Music Free tier will launch in India soon. This will allow users to access the music catalogue without paying for a subscription. Amazon has already put Amazon Prime Video behind a similar paywall asking Prime members to pay Rs 129 per month or Rs 699 per year, to watch ad-free content over and above their Prime membership cost.

Price, plans and free trial details

Amazon Music Unlimited is priced at Rs 99 per month for Prime members and Rs 119 per month for non-Prime users.

To encourage adoption, Amazon is offering a six-month free trial of Music Unlimited to Prime members. Non-Prime customers can also try the service free for three months before the subscription fee takes effect.