If you’re an Amazon Music user in the U.S. with an Xbox One, you’re in luck! U.S. customers can now get the new Amazon Music app for Xbox One in the Store. Microsoft indicates it will be available in other countries soon.
Sporting a curiously off-brand bright blue tile, Amazon Music joins iHeart Radio, Pandora, Spotify, and others already on the platform. With Groove Music no longer available, it isn’t all that surprising to see third-party services coming to the Xbox platform. But it’s worth noting that Xbox is now the only game console platform currently offering Amazon Music.
Unlike Amazon’s clunky Windows 10 app, which uses Microsoft’s “Project Centennial” Desktop Bridge to deliver a desktop experience to the Microsoft Store, Amazon’s Xbox One app is designed for the big screen. If you use Amazon Music on other devices with screens, you’ll recognize the familiar headings and offerings, including your own music library. And don’t forget that your music library includes tracks from many of the CDs you once purchased on Amazon.com…when that was a thing.
If you’re a gamer, you’ll be happy to know that Amazon Music can play in the background while you play games on your Xbox. To limit access to explicit lyrics, Amazon Music offers an option to block explicit music. Unfortunately, it doesn’t substitute clean versions, and it doesn’t require a passcode to unblock. So clever, younger family members can still easily regain access if they know where to look.
The Amazon Music app works for both Amazon Music Unlimited and Prime Music. While Prime Music is free with Amazon Prime, Amazon Music Unlimited costs $7.99/month or $79/year for Prime customers, with a discounted trial period. It’s $9.99/month for everyone else. Amazon also offers a family plan for $14.99/month or $149/year.
