Amazon’s Music app gets a smart new AI assistant

According to The Verge, Amazon is now building its Alexa Plus AI directly into the Amazon Music app starting today. The generative AI assistant is rolling out to customers in the Alexa Plus Early Access beta program on both iOS and Android platforms. Users across all subscription tiers—including free users—can now access these new AI capabilities within the music streaming service. The integration allows customers to request obscure information or complex music recommendations using natural language. Specific features include finding songs you can’t remember by lyrics or shows they appeared on, plus getting details about chart positions and festival lineups. The AI can also recommend music based on eras, moods, artists, and even exclude specific content like avoiding boy bands when requesting ’90s pop.

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What this actually changes

Here’s the thing—this isn’t just another voice command feature. Amazon is basically making their music app smarter than ever before. Remember struggling to find that song where the only thing you recall is “something about dancing in the moonlight”? Now you can just ask naturally. And the exclusion feature is genuinely useful—how many times have you wanted to listen to a genre but skip certain artists?

But here’s what’s really interesting: they’re making this available across all subscription tiers. That’s a pretty bold move when most companies lock AI features behind premium paywalls. It makes you wonder—is Amazon using this as a trojan horse to get more people hooked on their AI ecosystem? Probably. They’re betting that once you experience how useful Alexa Plus is for music, you’ll want it controlling your smart home, your shopping, everything else.

The bigger music streaming war

This puts immediate pressure on Spotify and Apple Music. While Spotify has some AI features like AI DJ, Amazon’s approach feels more integrated and conversational. Being able to say “play 90s pop but no boy bands” is the kind of specific request that other services struggle with. And let’s be honest—most of us have music taste that’s more nuanced than just “play some upbeat tunes.”

The timing is also strategic. With AI becoming the next battleground for tech companies, music streaming is a perfect testing ground. People use music apps daily, and the requests are predictable enough for AI to handle well. If Amazon can nail this, it gives them a serious edge in the music streaming wars. But the real question is whether users will actually adopt this or if it’ll become another forgotten feature buried in the app.

So what’s the catch? Well, we’re still in early access beta, which means there will be bugs. And while the features sound impressive, the actual execution will determine whether this becomes a game-changer or just another AI gimmick. Still, it’s a smart play from Amazon—they’re leveraging their Alexa expertise to differentiate their music service in a crowded market. And honestly? I’m curious to see if this makes finding that one obscure song from your childhood actually possible.