Amazon Music just lost its biggest selling point with its latest price hike

(Image credit: What Hi-FI?)

Amazon is raising its Music Unlimited subscription prices in March for both Prime and non-Prime members in the UK and US.

In the US, the monthly price is increasing from $10 to $11 for Prime members, and from $11 to $12 for those who do not subscribe to Amazon's all-in Prime subscription. The annual payment is going from $99 to $109 per year, while the Family Plan is also increasing from $16.99 to $19.99 per month, or from $169 to $199 per year.

The impending price hike removes the competitive edge Amazon had over its closest competitors (Tidal and Amazon) for Prime members who value hi-res streaming, though the service remains a strong service due to its strong, well-labelled catalogue, competitive sound quality and bonus 3D audio (Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio) tracks. In our Amazon Music Unlimited review, our reviews team called the service "a loveable, quirky streaming service that still sounds competitive and boasts good catalogue depth – we still recommend giving it a go, especially if you can get your hands on a free trial."

Becky is a hi-fi, AV and technology journalist, formerly the Managing Editor at What Hi-Fi? and Editor of Australian Hi-Fi and Audio Esoterica magazines. With over twelve years of journalism experience in the hi-fi industry, she has reviewed all manner of audio gear, from budget amplifiers to high-end speakers, and particularly specialises in headphones and head-fi devices.

In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.