Amazon Music DJ Mode combines music with commentary from artists and hosts

By Tom NewmanJune 11, 20219 mins read

Image Credit: Amazon

DJ Mode is a new on-demand listening experience from the music streaming service, launching with their first host Billie Eilish.

Spotify have recently been experimenting with mixing music and spoken-word content with features like Music + Talk, as well as playlists made for you such as On Record, Daily Drive and Daily Wellness. Similar to Pandora’s Artist Takeovers, Amazon Music are now showing interest in a similar blend of music and commentary from top DJs, featured artists, music expects and tastemakers, as well as music facts and trivia from Alexa.

Amazon Music’s DJ Mode will see commentators share anecdotes and new music recommendations between songs on a station. The first host is American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, who introduces her favourite songs, and talks about the inspirations, influences and the stories behind her new album. You can find Billie Eilish’s station by searching for The Billie Eilish Takeover. Alongside the superstar, there are also new DJ-hosted stations across hip-hop, country and pop, with Rap Rotation, Country Heat and All Hits. Song selection and sequencing is personalized to the listeners tastes. Amazon Music says more stations are to follow soon.

DJ Mode launched yesterday, and is available to all Prime members and Amazon Music subscribers in the US. The stations are an opt-in experience, meaning listeners who’d prefer uninterrupted music can still enjoy these stations, commentary-free. Find DJ Mode here, ask Alexa, use Car Mode, or the Amazon Music app on iOS, Android and Fire TV. Talking about the different stations, Amazon said:

“Alexa, play Rap Rotation in DJ Mode”: Rap Rotation Radio is your new home for hip-hop in heavy rotation, featuring the hottest tracks from Cardi B, Big Sean, Lil Yachty, and more. Hosted by esteemed hip-hop personality DJ Letty, Rap Rotation Radio in DJ Mode features voices from the artists that are moving the culture forward, stories behind the hit songs, and much more.
“Alexa, play Country Heat in DJ Mode”: Nashville country music radio host Kelly Sutton hosts Country Heat Radio in DJ Mode, which features some of the artists behind Nashville’s most important music including Maren Morris, Chris Stapleton, and Thomas Rhett.
“Alexa, play All Hits in DJ Mode”: Amazon Music’s senior pop music programmer and former favorite Seattle radio host DJ Karen Wild takes listeners through the biggest songs in the world with All Hits Radio in DJ Mode. Hear from artists such as The Weeknd, Saweetie, and Bruno Mars, alongside the stories behind the tracks, featuring voices of the artists who created them.
“Alexa, play The Billie Eilish Takeover”: With The Billie Eilish Takeover, fans are invited behind the scenes into Billie’s process. They’ll listen to music curated by the global superstar and hear from Billie herself as she shares stories about her music, her musical influences, and why she picked some of her favorite songs to share with listeners. Billie’s limited-time, curated experience will continue to be updated with new stories about her music as new songs from her upcoming album, Happier Than Ever, are released. Fans can listen to The Billie Eilish Takeover ahead of her upcoming episode of the Prime Day Show, premiering June 17 on Prime Video, where she shares details about her set list for the show.

We’re continuing to revolutionize how listeners experience music, and with DJ Mode we’re combining the best of streaming and traditional radio. With DJ Mode, fans can stream music selected just for them, while enjoying the personality of DJ-hosted radio. We’re also delighted that Billie Eilish is behind our first-ever artist-led DJ Mode experience, which gives fans access to her musical tastes and storytelling, hosted by one of the most innovative artists in the world.
Steve Boom, VP, Amazon Music