Amazon’s streaming music service may have the permissions it needs to match users’ offline music libraries. Following on recent rumors, CNET reports that anonymous sources say Amazon has signed deals with Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and EMI. The agreement would reportedly allow Amazon to offer new services, particularly Scan and Match, which would scan a user’s music library and unlock songs on the cloud accordingly. Currently, Apple offers a similar service for $24.99 a year. Amazon and Google, meanwhile, require users to upload their own songs, even if they’re identical to those available on the store, because record labels argue that distributing a song from the store would amount to illegal file-sharing.
Amazon’s cloud music service licensed by all major labels, says CNET
A new rumor says that Amazon has reached a deal with all four major record labels, paving the way for a Scan and Match music service that would replace the current model.
A new rumor says that Amazon has reached a deal with all four major record labels, paving the way for a Scan and Match music service that would replace the current model.
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
CNET says that Amazon is expected to offer both a free and paid version of its music matching service; it would remain platform-agnostic, working on both iOS and Android. That would give it an even greater advantage over Google Music, which appears to have no plans to negotiate with labels for a Match-style service. If these rumors are correct, new features could be coming sometime in July.
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