Hey there music lover! If you‘re an Amazon Prime member like me, you already have access to a pretty sweet perk – free music streaming through Amazon Prime Music. In this guide, I‘ll walk you through everything you need to know to take full advantage of this free music benefit and start listening to tons of songs and albums at no extra cost.
Let‘s dive in!
How Do I Get My Free Prime Music?
Getting your free Prime Music is easy – it comes included automatically with an Amazon Prime subscription. Here‘s a quick step-by-step:
Sign up for an Amazon Prime membership if you don‘t have one already. This gives you access to free shipping, movies, books, and more for $12.99/month.
Download the Amazon Music app on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. This is where you‘ll access the Prime Music catalog.
Open the Amazon Music app and log in using your Amazon.com credentials.
Start streaming and downloading music from the Prime Music catalog completely free!
See, I told you it was easy peasy. Now that you‘re all set up, let‘s explore all the perks you now have access to as part of your Prime membership.
A Look at Amazon Prime Music Benefits
Amazon Prime Music grants you unlimited, ad-free access to stream and download over 2 million songs in the Prime Music catalog.
According to consumer research from Experian Simmons, over 50% of Prime members regularly take advantage of the free music benefit.
Some key features Prime Music offers:
2 million+ songs available for unlimited streaming, covering popular artists across genres like pop, rock, hip hop, classical, country, and more.
Thousands of expertly curated playlists for activities like working out, commuting, unwinding, and everything in between. These are a great way to instantly match music to your mood or activity.
Top podcasts like Crime Junkie, Stuff You Should Know, This American Life, and more. Stream the most popular podcasts from your favorite hosts ad-free.
Downloadable music that you can listen to offline, DRM-free. Download up to 500 songs or playlists to your mobile device for those times you don‘t have an internet connection, like on flights or your commute.
HD quality audio, with songs streaming at 256 kbps bitrate quality. Not quite full high-def, but higher than standard quality MP3s.
Family Sharing so up to 10 family members can access shared Prime benefits like Prime Music through Amazon Household.
Alexa voice commands to request songs hands-free if you own an Echo device. Just say "Alexa, play some jazz music" and Alexa will instantly stream tunes from your Prime Music account. Super handy!
For most casual listeners, the 2 million song catalog is more than enough to satisfy your everyday music needs. But if you‘re a hardcore audiophile, read on for other premium Amazon music options.
Comparing Amazon‘s Music Streaming Plans
In addition to the free Prime Music plan, Amazon offers a few paid music streaming options for unlimited access to bigger catalogs and upgraded features.
Here‘s a breakdown comparing Prime Music to Amazon‘s paid music plans, Amazon Music Unlimited and Amazon Music HD:
| Plan | Prime Music | Music Unlimited | Music HD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price for Prime members | $0, included with Prime | $7.99 | $12.99 |
| Total song catalog | 2 million+ | 50 million+ | 50 million+ |
| Audio quality | 256 kbps | 850 kbps HD | Lossless HD |
| Mobile offline listening | Yes, up to 500 songs | Yes, unlimited | Yes, unlimited |
| Spatial audio | No | Yes, on supported devices | Yes, on supported devices |
| Family sharing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Alexa voice commands | Yes | Yes | Yes |
As you can see, Music Unlimited gives you a huge catalog bump for just $7.99/month. It has all the features of Prime Music without any limitations.
Music HD takes it a step further with lossless HD quality audio, providing the best sound quality available. Ideal for audiophiles with high-end speakers.
However, for casual listeners, Prime Music has more than enough to satisfy your daily music needs at no extra charge. The free music streaming perk alone makes a Prime subscription super valuable in my book!
Next, let‘s dive into how to use the Amazon Music app and get the most out of your Prime Music experience.
Downloading and Streaming Music from Prime
The Amazon Music app, available on iOS, Android, Fire TV, and computers, is your all-access pass to stream, download, and play music from your Prime account.
Here are some tips for using the app and maximizing your free Prime Music perks:
Browsing and Streaming Music
The Amazon Music app makes exploring new artists and albums fun and easy. Here are some of my favorite sections to browse:
New releases – Check here weekly to see all the hottest new album drops from your favorite artists. Great for keeping up with the latest hits and singles.
Playlists – Amazon‘s editors curate amazing mood and activity playlists. I like listening to the Pop Culture playlist during workouts or Commute Soundtrack for my drive to work. Lots of variety!
Stations – These streaming radio stations are organized by genre, decade, or artist. Perfect if you just feel like listening to country hits from the 90s for a bit.
Podcasts – Don‘t just listen to music – stream top podcasts like Crime Junkie, Modern Love and more, ad-free.
My Music – All your likes, playlists and library favorites are located here for quick access.
Take advantage of Alexa voice commands when streaming at home too. Just say "Alexa, play some chill music" and she‘ll instantly start streaming relaxing tunes from Prime Music.
Downloading Music and Playlists
One of my favorite features is the ability to download music from Prime for offline listening. Here‘s how:
Tap the download button next to any song, album, or playlist.
Open the "Downloads" section of the app to find all your music downloaded and ready for offline listening.
Connect your headphones on the subway, plane, or anywhere without WiFi and listen to your downloaded tunes.
You can download up to 500 songs for offline use. Downloads are high-quality MP3 files that won‘t expire – they belong to you even if you unsubscribe from Prime later.
Downloading music for offline listening is one of those Prime perks I use all the time during my work commute or when traveling. Play that music offline, baby!
Maximize Your Free Prime Music Experience
Now that you know how to access and download music with your Prime membership, here are my top pro tips for getting the absolute most out of your free Prime Music benefits:
Follow new releases every Friday – New albums and singles drop every Friday from top artists. Following the latest releases ensures you have all the newest hits right at your fingertips.
Sync music across devices – Pick up listening on any device – continue a playlist from your smartphone on an Echo speaker at home or desktop at work. Music syncs across all your devices.
Create playlists for any mood or activity – Having specific playlists ready for the gym, parties, focused work, or relaxation keeps your music neatly organized.
Download playlists before trips or commutes – Don‘t forget to download playlists, albums, or podcasts to have on hand for offline listening on the go when you won‘t have WiFi.
Set a daily music listening routine – Listening during my morning coffee or evening wind-down time has become a staple me-time routine. Find consistent time to enjoy your music.
Follow artist stations for new recommendations – Artist radio stations help you discover more related artists and music based on your favorites. Great for music discovery!
See, I told you Prime Music has you covered with the essentials. Now go get your free tunes on!
Answering Common Prime Music Questions
I know you‘ve got questions about Prime Music, so here are answers to some frequently asked ones:
How do I find Prime Playlists? Open the "Playlists" tab in the Amazon Music app. Here you‘ll find expert Prime playlists organized by genre, activity, decade, mood and more. They‘re a fantastic way to instantly match music to your vibe.
Can I listen to Prime Music on multiple devices? Yep, your account can stream music on up to 10 supported devices. Listen across smartphones, tablets, computers, Alexa speakers, smart TVs, and cars with the app download or web player access.
What if I cancel my Prime membership? If you cancel Prime, you‘ll lose access to Prime Music catalog streaming and downloads. However, any MP3 downloads you own will stay in your library.
Why can‘t I find certain albums/artists in Prime Music? The 2 million Prime song catalog is smaller than competitors. More obscure albums or artists may not be available if Amazon doesn‘t have the streaming rights. Consider upgrading to Music Unlimited for a 50 million+ song catalog.
Can I upload my personal music collection? Unfortunately no – Prime Music and Music Unlimited only allow streaming from their licensed catalogs. You can‘t upload your personal MP3 collection to their servers.
Is Prime Music completely free for members? Yep, Prime Music and all its features are absolutely free for Prime members! Just one of the many perks you get from an annual subscription.
Closing Thoughts on Free Music from Amazon
Well, I hope this guide gave you all the tools you need to start enjoying your free Prime Music benefits. Trust me, you‘ll never fall short of amazing tunes to soundtrack your day.
As a Prime member myself, I really value having unlimited access to songs, podcasts, playlists and more at no extra cost. It‘s an entertainment perk I use and appreciate every single day.
So what are you waiting for? Open up that Amazon Music app and start streaming your favorite hits and discovering new jams. Let me know if you have any other Prime Music questions – I‘m always happy to chat more about this awesome free music perk!
