On the heels of the Apple announcement this morning, which brings lossless audio to Apple Music, Amazon is upgrading eligible Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers to Amazon Music HD. With Amazon Music HD, customers can stream more than 70 million lossless, High Definition (HD) songs, with a bit depth of 16 bits and a sample rate of 44.1kHz (CD quality).
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“When we first launched Amazon Music HD, our goal was to lead the industry by enabling music fans around the world to stream the best quality recording, the way artists intended their music to be heard. We’re thrilled now to make Amazon Music HD available to everyone at no extra cost. All music fans should have access to this quality of music, and now they do!”
Steve Boom, VP of Amazon Music
In addition, customers will be able to stream over 7 million songs in Ultra HD at 24 bits and up to 192 kHz sample rate. According to Amazon, this is “the largest selection of music in Ultra HD.” Some tracks are even available in 3D Audio formats, including Dolby Atmos and Sony 360RA. Previously, the upgrade to Amazon Music HD was an additional $5/month but is now free for new and existing customers. Those with the Amazon Music Unlimited Individual Plan ($7.99/mth for Prime, $9.99 for Amazon subscribers) or the $14.99 Family Plan in the US, UK, Germany, Canada, France, Italy, and Spain can easily upgrade for free.
What do you think about Amazon offering up a free upgrade to Amazon Music HD? Do you think other music services like Spotify, Tidal, and others will follow suit? Let us know on Twitter or MeWe.
