Amazon Music vs YouTube Music splits on what you value: Amazon Music Unlimited's lossless/Hi-Res catalog versus YouTube Music's music-video library and bundle with YouTube Premium. YouTube Music excels for music discovery and YouTube integration with 256 kbps streaming, while Amazon Music Unlimited offers better value for Prime members at $8.99/month and includes lossless audio support. Choose based on your ecosystem: YouTube if you watch music videos frequently, Amazon if you're a Prime subscriber seeking lossless quality.
Amazon Music vs YouTube Music — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
YouTube Music wins for integrated music video discovery and lower Prime member pricing ($8.99/month), making it ideal for those deeply invested in YouTube's ecosystem. Amazon Music Unlimited wins for lossless audio quality and value for Prime subscribers who prioritize sound fidelity and native Alexa integration. Choose YouTube Music if you watch music videos regularly and want the best free tier; choose Amazon Music Unlimited if audio quality and smart home integration matter most.
Compare YouTube Music vs Amazon Music Unlimited
Music streaming with 100+ million songs, official music videos, AI discovery, and YouTube integration.
Amazon's music streaming service with competitive pricing and deep Alexa smart home integration.
Amazon Music vs YouTube Music — Comparison Data
Structured comparison data for Amazon Music vs YouTube Music with 159 attributes.
Monthly Subscription Price (Premium/Paid Tier)
Annual Prime/YouTube Premium Bundle Cost
Monthly Subscription Cost (Premium Tier)
Monthly Subscription Price (Standard Tier)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Standard User)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual Plan)
Annual Subscription Cost (Individual Plan)
Discover Weekly Playlists Generated Weekly
Amazon Music vs YouTube Music — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Amazon Music vs YouTube Music.
Which service is cheaper for Prime members?
Both cost $8.99/month for Prime/YouTube Premium members respectively. However, YouTube Premium at $8.99 includes ad-free YouTube access, while Amazon Music Unlimited at the same price is music-only for Prime members. Non-Prime members pay $14.99/month for Amazon Music Unlimited versus the same for YouTube Music Premium standalone.
Can I watch music videos on Amazon Music?
No, Amazon Music Unlimited is a music-streaming-only service without native video content. YouTube Music includes full access to music videos through YouTube's integration, making it the better choice for users who want both audio and video content.
Amazon Music Unlimited supports lossless audio quality, making it superior for audiophiles with compatible devices. YouTube Music maxes out at 256 kbps AAC bitrate. Both offer the same 256 kbps streaming standard, but only Amazon Music provides true lossless fidelity.
Which works better with smart home devices?
Amazon Music Unlimited is deeply optimized for Alexa and Echo devices, offering free ad-supported playback on these devices. YouTube Music works with Google Home and Nest devices. Choose based on your smart home ecosystem.
YouTube Music offers an ad-supported free tier to all users with limited skip functionality. Amazon Music Unlimited requires a Prime membership to access its free tier (also ad-supported). YouTube Music's free tier is more accessible without additional subscriptions.
Why am I being charged $4.99 for Amazon Music when I have Prime?
Amazon Music has two tiers: Amazon Music Prime (included free with Prime membership) only offers shuffle-only streaming with limited access. Amazon Music Unlimited is a separate $10.99/month subscription (or $8.99/month for Prime members) that adds on-demand listening, offline downloads, HD audio, and full catalog access. The $4.99 charge is the legacy Amazon Echo/Alexa price for single-device Amazon Music Unlimited — it only works on one Alexa device and is cheaper than the full plan. If you want to use Amazon Music on your phone, car, or multiple devices, you need the $8.99–$10.99/month full plan.