Amazon announced that it is launching a free ad-supported version of Amazon Music so that people can listen to their favorite music anytime, anywhere on their favorite devices.

In a blog, Amazon announced that Amazon Music customers who don't have a subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited, or aren't members of Amazon Prime, can listen to a selection of top playlists and thousands of stations for free. The catch? Ads, of course.

Ads, which cannot be skipped, will be played in between songs. That might sound like a bummer, but it's actually not – in exchange for a radio station-like experience where ads are played between songs, users can listen to all the music they want without having to pay even a single cent.

Amazon previously had a similar service that was limited to its Echo devices. Now, the retail giant is giving more people (i.e. those who don't have Echo devices) the opportunity to listen to songs via Amazon Music. Devices eligible for the service include Android devices and those running on iOS, which include iPhones and iPads.

Amazon's decision to release a free, ad-supported version of Amazon Music gives it a big advantage over rival music streaming services such as Apple Music, which costs $9.99 per month. Amazon Music makes millions of songs in its library free for everyone.

The free, ad-supported service allows users to choose from various playlists, each featuring a selection of songs from different genres and styles, such as:

  • "All Hits" is a playlist that includes the biggest songs in the world
  • "Fuego Latino" is a collection of the hottest Latin tracks for the week
  • "Country Heat" features songs that the country music fan will love
  • "Holiday Favorites" is a station that plays iconic songs heard during the Christmas season
  • "Rap Rotation" plays rap songs in heavy rotation

Amazon Music users aren't allowed to pick and choose individual tracks. Instead, they can choose what playlist or station they want to listen to, Cult of Mac noted.. Amazon will select a station based on the user's selected playlist.

Those who want to pick and choose individual songs, and enjoy an ad-free Amazon Music experience, can do so via a Prime membership, or by subscribing to Amazon Music Unlimited, which offers 50 million songs for a low price.

Amazon is offering a free, ad-supported music service for people with Apple or Android devices as well as the Fire TV
Amazon is offering a free, ad-supported music service for people with Apple or Android devices as well as the Fire TV AFP / Lionel BONAVENTURE
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