Subscription music services have yet to profit but that hasn’t stopped some of the internet’s biggest media distributors from jumping into the business. Amazon, the web’s biggest retailer, is the latest to inquire with various music companies about starting a subscription service, multiple sources have told The Verge. Details are few and the talks have been described as very informal, the sources said. But so far, what Amazon has shown an interest in is an on-demand service that sounds pretty similar to Spotify, generally considered the sector leader. Others in the field include Rdio and Rhapsody, but Google and Apple are also working on their own projects. Google is reportedly in talks with record companies and music publishers about starting subscription music services for both YouTube and Google Play.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.