Amazon Music: what is new Amazon Prime update, how much does unlimited subscription cost UK, and how to cancel

Amazon Music has announced a new update for Amazon Prime customers - Amazon Unlimited. The ad-free subscription streaming service is adding 98 million more songs to its catalogue, giving listeners the option to listen to over 100 million tunes and new podcast episodes on the go.

But the way listeners can enjoy their favourite hits is changing, with the updated song library only available to listen on shuffle for those on Amazon Music. Amazon has reassured listeners that Prime users will still be able to stream songs on demand via “All-Access playlists” which can also be downloaded for offline listening if they update their subscription to Amazon Unlimited.

Users have reacted strongly on social media as before the update they could listen to their favourite songs by streaming them on-demand.

So what is the new Amazon Music update and what does it mean for you? Here’s everything you need to know.

What is the new Amazon Music update?

Amazon Music has announced a new update for its Amazon Prime customers, listeners will now be able to access 100 million ad-free songs and new podcast episodes on the go. The platform originally only had 2 million songs.

However, Prime customers will be limited to listening to Amazon Music in shuffle mode. This means that whilst they will be able to access all available songs from their favourite artist’s album, they won’t be able to listen to them in order or pick a selected song, unless they upgrade to an Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.

How much does an Amazon Unlimited subscription cost in the UK?

If you have an Amazon Prime membership you automatically have access to Amazon Music with no additional cost. You will still be able to access the huge catalogue of music and podcasts, but will only be able to listen using the shuffle feature.

To be able to access and listen to music on-demand you will need to upgrade to an Amazon Music Unlimited account. For Prime Members this will cost £8.99 per month for a monthly subscription or £89 for an annual subscription. To access as a non-Prime customer, the fee will cost £9.99 per month. There is a 30-day free trial when you sign up.

How can you cancel Amazon Prime?

You can cancel your Amazon Prime membership at anytime online through your Amazon account. Simply go to the your Memberships and Subscriptions section, select Manage Subscription and select which service you would like to cancel. Your renewal date will become the end date of your subscription and you can access Prime until this ends.

What has the reaction been?

Amazon Music users have reacted strongly to the update, with with many voicing their frustration on social media about being unable to listen to music on-demand.

One Twitter user tweeted “What is this crap new @amazonmusic update?! I want to play my kids bedtime music playlist, and I’ll I can do now is “shuffle the playlist with other similar music”?!?! Why would you do this @AmazonHelp ?”

Whilst another Twitter user said they would be no longer using the service, tweeting: “So Amazon musics entire 100 million song library is free for prime users! As long as you’re okay with shuffle mode and a few skips a day. Absolutely awful. Will no longer be using.”