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Amazon stops charging extra for lossless music as Apple enters the fray,the price war has begun.

JEntwistle

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Yep. Just received an email from Amazon about this. It's next to impossible to figure out what I am paying, but it looks like they are doing away with the surcharge for HD content.

If you currently have Amazon, the subscription fee change is effective your next billing date - which could be quite a few months from now.

Still a good thing.
 

blueone

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I got the same email. Since I pay on annual basis to get the discount, and the adjustment won't be made until the next billing cycle, I have to wait. I'm not sure if I get a prorated refund if I cancel (Amazon's website is not clear about this). I'll be switching to Apple, because they seem to have a much better classical music selection.
 

JEntwistle

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I got the same email. Since I pay on annual basis to get the discount, and the adjustment won't be made until the next billing cycle, I have to wait. I'm not sure if I get a prorated refund if I cancel (Amazon's website is not clear about this). I'll be switching to Apple, because they seem to have a much better classical music selection.

My adjustment is more than 6 months away. With Prime + Family Plan + HD, I have no idea what my "new" subscription price will be compared to today. I can't find a pricing table showing differences among plans.

BUT with all the recent discussions about MQA and higher-than-redbook encoding, I've decided Amazon Music is a great value, and only better with the price drop for HD.
 
OP
dmac6419

dmac6419

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Yep. Just received an email from Amazon about this. It's next to impossible to figure out what I am paying, but it looks like they are doing away with the surcharge for HD content.

If you currently have Amazon, the subscription fee change is effective your next billing date - which could be quite a few months from now.

Still a good thing.
Just checked my billing it's $7.99 in the USA
We have some great news for you – going forward, there will be no extra charge for HD as part of your Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.You will continue to have full access to all of your HD content, but at no additional cost. This change will be reflected in your next billing cycle.
 
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JEntwistle

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I found this on Engadget:
"Amazon previously charged a $5 premium for Music HD"
https://www.engadget.com/amazon-music-unlimited-plans-hd-streaming-included-135249659.html

The article says that Apple undercut them, thus the price change.

Also, a reminder that what Amazon calls "HD" is actually redbook CD quality. They also have some hi res music, which they call Ultra HD, scattered within the library. It is dependent on the specific music - even individual tracks within an album will often be a mix of HD and UHD content.
 

MarcT

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Yeah, just got the same email, and posted this in the Amazon Music HD thread. I'm paying month to month, so the change takes effect on May 31.
 

Ata

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Note that Apple seems to have introduced both "Lossless" (up to 48K/24) and "Hires Lossless" (up to 192K/24) as no-cost options to existing subscribers.
 

BrEpBrEpBrEpBrEp

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Note that Apple seems to have introduced both "Lossless" (up to 48K/24) and "Hires Lossless" (up to 192K/24) as no-cost options to existing subscribers.
192K... but why? Why even spend the bandwidth? Gotta make sure to pander to the "bats and dogs" segment of the market I guess...
 

Ata

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192K... but why? Why even spend the bandwidth? Gotta make sure to pander to the "bats and dogs" segment of the market I guess...

I understand your sentiment, this move is a puzzling one for Apple from a business point of view, too. From https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT212183?cid=mc-ols-applemusic-article_ht212183-ios_ui-02172021:

Apple has developed its own lossless audio compression technology called Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC). In addition to AAC, the entire Apple Music catalogue is now also encoded using ALAC in resolutions ranging from 16-bit/44.1 kHz (CD Quality) up to 24-bit/192 kHz.

While the difference between AAC and lossless audio is virtually indistinguishable, we’re offering Apple Music subscribers the option to access music in lossless audio compression.

So, AAC and lossless are indistinguishable, but we are offering the choice of lossless and hires lossless?! :confused: Totally non-Applesque in my book -- not that I am complaining.
 

Cbdb2

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Amazon and rotten Apple pay the musicians less than half of what the other streaming services do. F em both. Not to mention Amazons price fixing on everything else.
 

Somafunk

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Amazon and rotten Apple pay the musicians less than half of what the other streaming services do

I don’t believe your statement is correct for Apple, and your ire should be directed at the major labels and how they remunerate (or not) the vast majority of artists.
 

valerianf

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I confirm that the price of my Amazon HD music has been reduced and that can still get some Ultra HD music at 24 bits 192 khz bit rate.
Amazing.
 
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Is Amazon Music HD worth it over something like Tidal?
Whilst we wait for Spoitfy cd res quality to come online.
 

DimitryZ

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Yep. Just received an email from Amazon about this. It's next to impossible to figure out what I am paying, but it looks like they are doing away with the surcharge for HD content.

If you currently have Amazon, the subscription fee change is effective your next billing date - which could be quite a few months from now.

Still a good thing.
Keep in mind, you still need to go to your Amazon settings and enable "HD" at no cost.

If you don't, all HD content will disappear from your Amazon Music.

Public service announcement.
 

Cbdb2

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I don’t believe your statement is correct for Apple, and your ire should be directed at the major labels and how they remunerate (or not) the vast majority of artists.

https://soundcharts.com/blog/music-streaming-rates-payouts

Labels spend money on production and developing the artists. The streaming services just collect money. Its like comparing movie studios to youtube, nonsense. And a lot of music these days has nothing to do with major labels.
 
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