Earlier this week we reported on Amazon raising the price of its Music Unlimited subscriptions in Japan. It turns out this isn’t just a Japanese thing.
It emerged yesterday that Amazon is also raising its prices for non-Prime members in the US and UK. In the US an individual subscription has gone up from $9.99 to $10.99, while a student plan has risen from $4.99 to $5.99. There are corresponding rises to £10.99 and £5.99 in the UK.
The change happens from 21 February, and sees Amazon match Apple Music’s recent increase in its subscriptions. That’s the trend here: a domino effect where each service’s decision to add a pound, dollar or euro (other currencies are available) to the cost of a basic subscription reduces the fear factor for rivals to follow suit.
Rightsholders and artist activists alike will be cheering on this dynamic.
