Amazon Wants to Launch a Super Cheap Music Streaming Service – With One Significant Drawback

Amazon wants to launch a music streaming service similar to Apple Music and Spotify. And, in typical Jeff Bezos fashion, the company wants to price it at no more than $5—fully half of competing services.

The catch? The service would only work on Echo hardware.

Amazon could unveil the service as early as September, offering unlimited ad-free music, playing only through the company’s artificial intelligence concierge device, which doubles as a wireless speaker. Most similar services focus their efforts on smartphone streaming.

Amazon Has Hired 86,000 Workers in One Year

The Echo launched last year, selling a lukewarm one million units. Estimates suggest Amazon is on pace to ship three million this year. As it adds functions to the Echo—such as a potential music subscription—Amazon aims to sell upward of 10 million units next year.

Amazon currently sells a video streaming service, similar to Netflix, for $9 per month or free to Prime members.