Amazon Music HD now included free with Amazon Music Unlimited

By Simon Cohen May 17, 2021

Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers now have another reason to stick with the streaming music service: Amazon has just made its Amazon Music HD streaming tier free for all existing Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers.

The news comes on the same day that Apple announced it will be adding support for Dolby Atmos and lossless audio on Apple Music for no extra charge.

New and existing subscribers to the Amazon Music Unlimited Individual Plan ($8 per month for Prime members and $10 per month for Amazon customers) or the Family Plan ($15 per month) can now upgrade to Amazon Music HD at no extra cost.

Amazon Music HD has a catalog of more than 70 million lossless, CD-quality songs, with a bit depth of 16 bits and a sample rate of 44.1kHz.

However, there are also more than 7 million songs available in better-than-CD-quality hi-res audio at a bit depth of 24 bits and a sample rate up to 192 kHz. Amazon Music HD has added more than 5 million songs to its hi-res catalog since its 2019 launch. Amazon claims this is the largest available selection of music in the hi-res format.

Amazon Music HD also provides a growing selection of tracks in 3D Audio formats such as Dolby Atmos Music and Sony 360 Reality Audio. Currently, Dolby Atmos tracks can only be streamed on Amazon’s own Echo Studio smart speaker. Meanwhile, Sony 360RA tracks will also work on Sony’s RA5000 and RA3000 speakers by using Alexa Cast.

The Amazon Music HD tier was previously an additional $5 a month for current subscribers to the Individual or Family Plan. For current subscribers to Amazon Music HD, there will be no extra charge for HD starting with their next billing cycle.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributing Editor, A/V

Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…

Audio / Video

What is a network music streamer and why do you need one?

The Yamaha WCX-50 network music streamer.

CDs and vinyl records are two physical audio formats that some folks swear by, especially when it comes to sound quality. But even the most tenacious audiophiles have come around to the excellent sound quality now available on digital streaming services, so much so that digital audio has become the primary way we consume our music. But with the range of hi-fi setups people have at home, new and old, one of the best ways to bring your digital audio and online streaming services to them is by adding a dedicated network music streamer.

A network music streamer is an internet-connected hardware component that streams your favorite digital music using an internet connection. A good network music streamer is easy to use, compatible with several file formats and music streaming services, and will ensure your digital music sounds good to appease both casual listeners and esteemed decibel sages.

Audio / Video

What is MQA? The controversial digital audio format fully explained

When it comes to discussions of digital audio, you'll quickly run into an alphabet soup of acronyms: MP3, AAC, ALAC, FLAC, WAV, DSD, and so on. It's practically endless.

You'd think that with this many digital audio file types, we wouldn't need yet another. However, there is one more digital audio file you need to know about. It's called MQA.

Audio / Video

The Canadian company that owns NAD and Bluesound now owns MQA

MQA, the embattled U.K. audio technology company founded by Bob Stuart, has a new owner in Canada-based Lenbrook, the parent company of Bluesound, NAD, and PSB Speakers. Financial details haven't been revealed, but Lenbrook says it has acquired all MQA assets, including the company's two key pieces of intellectual property — the MQA and SCL-6 audio codecs. Prior to today's announcement, MQA had been mired in administration, a British business status that's similar to Chapter 11, and was seeking new ownership after a major investor exited the company.

"We view this acquisition as an opportunity to ensure the technologies developed by the scientists and engineers at MQA continue to serve the industry’s interests rather than be confined to any single brand or company," Gordon Simmonds, Lenbrook's CEO, said in a press release that outlined the acquisition.