Amazon Music introduces ads for Prime members in India as it launches Music Unlimited
Amazon Music is changing its subscription model in India, introducing ads to Prime Music while launching Amazon Music Unlimited. Here’s what it means for artists, labels, and the streaming landscape.
For years, one of the biggest selling points of Amazon Prime has been that subscribers could stream music ad-free as part of their membership. But now, that’s all about to change.
Amazon has announced a major shake-up to its music offering in India, introducing a new premium tier called Amazon Music Unlimited while simultaneously moving its existing Prime Music service towards an ad-supported model.
The move marks a significant shift in strategy for one of the world’s largest streaming services and could have wider implications for artists, rights holders, and the future of music streaming in emerging markets.
Amazon Music is changing in India
Speaking to Android Authority, Amazon confirmed it’s switching things up in India.
Previously, Amazon Music was bundled into an Amazon Prime membership, giving users access to ad-free listening and offline downloads at no additional cost. But starting July 2nd, those benefits are moving behind a dedicated music subscription. That means Prime members in India will no longer have access to ad-free listening or offline downloads.
Instead, users wanting to maintain an ad-free experience, offline playback, HD audio, Ultra HD audio, and Spatial Audio features will need to upgrade to Amazon Music Unlimited. If you’re looking to upgrade, Amazon Music Unlimited is priced at ₹119 per month for non-Prime members and ₹99 per month for Prime subscribers, according to Music Ally.
The changes coincide with the launch of Amazon’s free, ad-supported tier in India, which will allow both Prime and non-Prime users to access music through shuffle-based playback.
The bigger picture
The decision reflects a wider trend happening across the streaming industry. Over the past decade, many digital services focused heavily on user growth, often offering generous features at low prices. But more often than not, those benefits are now being paywalled.
For Amazon Music in particular, growth in India has slowed in recent years, as Music Ally points out. By launching multiple listening tiers, the company will be hoping to monetise different segments of listeners. It’s a strategy that mirrors approaches already used by platforms such as Spotify, YouTube Music, and Deezer, where free and premium experiences coexist to drive subscription conversions.
What this means for artists
For independent artists, the introduction of an ad-supported tier creates both opportunities and challenges.
On one hand, free access can increase the number of listeners engaging with music on Amazon’s platform. This increased number of listeners could lead to new opportunities for artists to get discovered and grow their audience.
However, ad-supported streams typically generate lower royalties than premium subscription streams. This means that while overall listening numbers may rise, revenue per stream could decrease if a significant number of users choose the free experience over paid subscriptions.
For artists and labels, the key takeaway remains the same: reach matters, but audience quality matters too. Building a fanbase across multiple platforms rather than relying on a single DSP remains one of the most effective ways to grow both your audience and your revenue.
With RouteNote, artists can distribute their music to major streaming services worldwide, including Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, and many more.
Moving forward
While these changes are currently limited to India, they are worth watching globally. Often platforms test things in certain markets to learn from and help inform their strategies elsewhere.
Amazon has stated that these changes currently apply to India, although reports indicate similar notifications have appeared for some users in Australia.
Whether this approach expands to additional territories remains to be seen.
Final Thoughts
Amazon’s new music strategy in India signals another chapter in the ongoing evolution of streaming. For listeners, it means more choice between free, bundled, and premium experiences. For Amazon, it’s an opportunity to increase revenue, its user base, and its ability to compete more directly with rival music services. And for artists, it’s another reminder that the streaming landscape never stands still.
As music platforms continue refining their business models, staying available across every major service remains crucial for building sustainable audience growth in an increasingly competitive market.