Amazon Music Unlimited has expanded its service to include one free audiobook per month through Audible integration for subscribers in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. This addition applies to both Individual subscribers and Family plan primary account holders.

This move follows Spotify's recent audiobook bundling strategy, which has sparked controversy in the music industry. While Spotify's offering includes 15 hours of monthly audiobook listening, Amazon Music Unlimited provides one complete audiobook of any length per month.

The key industry concern centers around potential royalty implications. Spotify's recent reclassification of its subscriptions as bundles has led to significant royalty savings under Phonorecords IV regulations, prompting legal challenges from the MLC and criticism from publishers and songwriters.

National Music Publishers' Association chief David Israelite has expressed optimism about Amazon Music's bundling approach, though final agreements regarding compensation are still pending.

The integration raises questions about whether Amazon Music will follow Spotify's controversial bundling strategy for royalty purposes. Similar to Apple Music's inclusion of Apple Music Classical, the service could potentially leverage these additions to modify its royalty structure under Phono IV guidelines.

This development represents a growing trend of streaming services expanding beyond pure music offerings, potentially reshaping how royalties are calculated and distributed throughout the industry.

Related Articles

Previous Articles