No, Amazon Does Not Own Spotify in 2026
I‘m sure many of you, like me, have wondered if the ecommerce giant Amazon owns the popular music streaming app Spotify. It‘s an understandable question! Both are big players in the world of online media. Not to mention Amazon owns many subsidiary companies like Audible, Whole Foods, and Goodreads.
But I‘m here to tell you – nope, Amazon is not the owner of Spotify.
Spotify was started independently in 2006 by creators Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon in Stockholm, Sweden. It remains its own public company traded on the stock market.
However, Amazon does operate a similar music streaming service called Amazon Music. I can see how these two could be confused at first glance!
In this article, I‘ll break down the key differences between Spotify and Amazon Music to settle the question once and for all. I‘ll also share how they integrate across Amazon‘s products, so you can enjoy Spotify even as an Amazon customer.
Let‘s get to the details so you can become an informed listener!
How Do Spotify and Amazon Music Compare?
Given the similarities on the surface, it‘s worth diving deeper into how Spotify and Amazon Music compare across several categories:
Music Catalog Size
Both platforms boast massive on-demand streaming music catalogs, but Spotify currently edges out Amazon in sheer volume with over 82 million tracks and growing.
Amazon Music has around 90 million songs available as of 2022.
So if catalog size is your top priority, Spotify gives you slightly more options right now. However, both services add thousands of new tracks everyday, so the gap is narrowing.
Number of Users
In terms of subscriber base, Spotify is still bigger than Amazon Music:
| Service | Total Users | Paying Subscribers |
|---|---|---|
| Spotify | 422 million | 188 million |
| Amazon Music | 90 million | 55 million |
As you can see, Spotify has over 4x more total monthly active users than Amazon Music. Both brands have seen steady user growth over the years, but Spotify maintains the lion‘s share of music streamers.
Personalization & Discovery
A key difference between the platforms is how they help you discover new tunes and tailor music to your taste.
Spotify places major emphasis on personalized playlists based on genres and listening habits. Signature features like Discover Weekly and Spotify Wrapped have become beloved parts of the streaming experience.
Comparatively, Amazon Music relies more on genre stations and basic recommendations. It doesn‘t have the same level of personalization based on user data.
So if you want an AI that intimately knows your music preferences, Spotify has the upper hand. But if you just want neatly organized genres and moods, Amazon Music gets the job done too.
Supported Platforms
When it comes to what devices you can play music on, Spotify again wins out in terms of compatibility across platforms:
- Mobile – iOS, Android
- Desktop – Windows, MacOS
- Smart speakers – Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple Homepod and others
- Gaming consoles – PlayStation, Xbox
- Smart TVs – Samsung, LG, Roku
- Wearables – Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin
Meanwhile, Amazon Music is primarily focused on Amazon‘s own hardware environment:
- Mobile – iOS, Android
- Smart speakers – Amazon Alexa devices
- Fire TV streaming
- Echo Auto for cars
So if having seamless Spotify streaming across all your devices is crucial, Amazon Music falls short on compatibility compared to Spotify‘s universally available apps and plugins.
Audio Quality
Recently, Amazon Music upped their sound game by offering high bitrate streaming and spatial audio at no extra cost to subscribers.
Spotify has been slower to adopt hi-fi quality streaming. They plan to launch Spotify HiFi in the future but will charge extra for lossless, CD-quality audio.
So audiophiles rejoice – Amazon Music definitely sounds better pound-for-pound right now. But Spotify may match on audio quality once Spotify HiFi launches widely.
Cost and Bundles
Finally, let‘s look at how much you‘ll pay to subscribe to each service:
| Service | Monthly Cost | Perks |
|---|---|---|
| Spotify Premium | $9.99 | Ad-free listening Offline listening Unlimited skips |
| Amazon Music Unlimited | $7.99 for Prime members $9.99 for non-members |
Ad-free listening Offline listening Unlimited skips |
As you can see, the regular cost is identical at $9.99 per month. But Amazon Prime members get Music Unlimited bundled in at a discount.
So if you‘re already a Prime customer, Amazon Music provides the cheaper route to premium streaming. Otherwise, the cost is a wash.
Ultimately, your preference comes down to which features matter most to you! Both options give you vast on-demand music libraries with some key differences in personalization, platforms, sound quality and cost.
Now that you know how Spotify and Amazon Music compare, let‘s move on to…
Can You Use Spotify on Amazon Devices?
Given Spotify isn‘t owned by Amazon, you might assume the two don‘t play nice. But thankfully, Amazon devices actually support using Spotify!
You can download and stream Spotify across:
- Amazon Echo smart speakers
- Amazon Fire tablets
- Fire TV streaming devices
- Kindle Fire tablet range
- Any Alexa built-in devices like headphones or auto dash kits
The key is to connect or "link" your Spotify account in the Alexa app. Here‘s how:
- Open the Amazon Alexa app and go to Settings > Music > Link New Service
- Choose Spotify and sign in with your Spotify username and password
- Go back to Settings > Music and set Spotify as your default music service
Once linked, you can say voice commands to Alexa like:
- "Alexa, play my Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify"
- "Alexa, play some upbeat pop music on Spotify"
- "Alexa, play the Spotify chart hits playlist"
And the tunes will start flowing from your Spotify account!
So even without direct ownership, Spotify integrates beautifully across Amazon‘s Alexa ecosystem.
Can You Get Spotify on the Amazon Appstore?
Wondering if you can download Spotify through the Amazon Appstore onto your Fire tablet or Fire TV?
The answer is yes! You can install the official Spotify app from the Amazon Appstore onto any compatible Fire OS and Kindle device, including:
- Fire tablets like the Fire HD 10 and Fire 7
- Fire TV sticks and Fire TV cubes for streaming
- Fire Phone (remember those? 😆)
- Kindle Fire tablets
Once installed from the Appstore, just log into Spotify with your account details to access your full profile.
Having Spotify readily available in the Amazon Appstore makes it super convenient for existing Amazon customers to enjoy Spotify without any extra hassle.
Does Amazon Sell Spotify Gift Cards?
Lastly, you can purchase Spotify gift cards directly through Amazon.com as digital codes.
These make great last minute gifts for the music lover in your life! Or get one for yourself to fund your own Spotify account.
Here are the Spotify gift card options currently available on Amazon:
| Gift Card Value | Redemption |
|---|---|
| $30 | 3 months of Premium |
| $60 | 6 months of Premium |
| $99 | 12 months of Premium |
Amazon doesn‘t sell 1-month gift cards at this time. But you can still grab Premium redemption bundles and apply the credit to your or your lucky giftee‘s Spotify account.
The Bottom Line
While Amazon operates its own similar music streaming platform, it does not have ownership over Spotify or its parent company.
But the good news is these two streaming giants play very nicely together! As an Amazon customer, you can still:
- Download and use Spotify on Alexa devices
- Install Spotify from the Amazon Appstore
- Redeem Spotify gift cards purchased through Amazon
So don‘t let the lack of ownership fool you. You get the best of both worlds – Amazon hardware and Spotify‘s music discovery features.
Hopefully this breakdown clarified that age old question once and for all. Happy listening!