Amazon Echo To Stream Apple Music

Just in time for the holidays, Apple Music subscribers will be able to use the streaming music service on Echo devices starting the week of Dec. 17, Amazon said on Friday (Nov. 30).

Customers who have both can ask Alexa to play any music or content Apple Music provides, as well as the numerous playlists curated by Apple Music’s editors.

The move is somewhat of a surprise, according to one report, because Apple has its own Echo-like device, called the HomePod, which was released in 2017.

Amazon, for its part, also has a streaming music service, but it hasn’t quite matched the heft of other services. Echo speakers also offer support for Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio and TuneIn.

Apple Music has about 50 million subscribers, a number it breached earlier in the year, but it’s still lagging behind Spotify’s 83 million. The move could very well drive subscribers to both services, as it brings the Apple Music service to a more affordable piece of hardware.

The HomePod currently retails in the neighborhood of $350, while an entry-level Amazon Echo Dot runs about $30.

Dave Limp, an Amazon VP, said the move made sense because customers want to be able to listen to music in their homes, at their convenience.

“Music is one of the most popular features on Alexa — since we launched Alexa four years ago, customers are listening to more music in their homes than ever before,” Limp said. “We are committed to offering great music providers to our customers, and since launching the Music Skill API to developers just last month, we’ve expanded the music selection on Alexa to include even more top-tier services. We’re thrilled to bring Apple Music – one of the most popular music services in the U.S. – to Echo customers this holiday.”