Amazon today launched its generative AI-powered assistant, Alexa+, directly into the Amazon Music app for iOS and Android, marking a significant escalation in the battle for AI supremacy in the music streaming market.
The update, rolling out now to users in the Alexa+ Early Access program, transforms the app’s voice-control feature from a simple command-based tool into a sophisticated, conversational “music expert.” This move is seen as a direct challenge to Spotify’s recent AI integrations and a strategic strike against Apple, bringing a next-generation AI assistant to iPhone users months, or perhaps even a year, before Apple’s own revamped Siri is expected to be fully realized.
Starting today, Early Access users can tap an “a” button in the app to access the new interface, which leverages the powerful large language models underpinning Alexa+. Instead of just responding to basic commands like “Play Taylor Swift,” the new AI can field complex, vague, and multi-part queries, acting as a personal DJ and music historian rolled into one.
For example, users can now ask, “What’s the song that plays in the opening credits of The Sopranos?” or “Find that popular new song by Addison Rae.” The AI can also generate hyper-specific playlists on the fly. A user could request, “Create a playlist of 2010s hits that make me move fast, starting with a Nicki Minaj track,” or “Make a playlist of flamenco-inspired music that incorporates modern beats, similar to Rosalía, but only include artists from Spain.”
This conversational-first approach is already yielding massive dividends in user engagement. According to early data released by Amazon from its beta testing, listeners with access to the new Alexa+ features are exploring new songs at three times the rate of users with the original Alexa. Furthermore, users who seek out music recommendations through the AI are listening to nearly 70% more music overall, a staggering metric that signals a fundamental shift in music discovery.
The integration allows users to ask follow-up questions, effectively having a conversation about music. A request for “electronic music” can be refined with “Can you tell me more about that first artist you mentioned?” Users can also tap into a deep well of music knowledge, asking about an artist’s influences, the meaning behind a song’s lyrics, or an album’s chart history.
This launch is the first major mobile application for Alexa+, which Amazon first unveiled in February 2025 as a sweeping, generative AI overhaul of its long-standing voice assistant. Powered by Amazon’s Bedrock platform, which utilizes its own Nova models as well as models from partners like Anthropic, Alexa+ was designed to be more conversational, personalized, and capable of multi-step tasks.
While Alexa+ has been gradually rolling out on Amazon’s own Echo devices, its arrival on iOS and Android is a critical strategic pivot. It “democratizes access” to the assistant, as one Amazon executive put it, placing it directly in the pocket of millions of users including those deeply embedded in Apple’s ecosystem.
The move also counters Spotify, which recently integrated ChatGPT to power its own AI-driven discovery features. With today’s launch, Amazon is signaling that the next front in the streaming wars won’t be fought over catalog size, but over the quality of AI-driven interaction.
For now, the feature is available to Alexa+ Early Access participants across all Amazon Music subscription tiers, from ad-supported free plans to the top-tier Amazon Music Unlimited. After the early access period concludes, Amazon has stated that Alexa+ will be included for free for all Amazon Prime members, a move that dramatically increases the value of a Prime subscription. Non-Prime members will be able to subscribe to the service for $19.99 per month.
For Amazon, this launch is about more than just music. It’s a key part of a broader corporate strategy to finally monetize the Alexa division, which has historically been a significant cost center. By shifting to a premium subscription model for non-Prime users, Amazon is betting that this new, smarter, and more capable AI is something customers will finally be willing to pay for. As the rollout continues, all eyes will be on user adoption and the competitive responses from Apple and Spotify. But as of today, Amazon has redefined its music app from a simple content library into an interactive, intelligent companion, betting that the future of streaming isn’t just about listening it’s about conversation.
