Amazon launches Amp app to enter the audio social market

Amazon today launched its long-rumored Clubhouse competitor: a new app called Amp, according tomedia reports. Amazon said the goal of the app is to turn any user into a radio DJ, able to compile playlists, talk to listeners, and chat with callers.

Best of all, as long as users sign up for Amp, hosts and listeners can listen to full songs for free without having to subscribe to any specific service.

It is understood that Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces have already had a great influence in the field of real-time audio, and Facebook is also experimenting.

It is reported that in order to enhance the user's listening rate, Amazon is inviting some celebrity hosts to start this work. Nicki Minaj, Pusha T, Tinashe, Travis Barker, Lil Yachty and Big Boi are among the artists who will be played on Amp.

However, Amazon hasn’t said when exactly these people will be hosting, and while Amp spokesperson Rebecca Silverstein told The Verge that Amazon hopes to add features to incentivize creators in the future, it won’t offer monetization incentives to (non-celebrity) hosts at launch.

Amazon also stressed that it had done some work on controls ahead of launch, something the app doesn’t always advertise (or even necessarily think through). The company said the service already has “comprehensive community guidelines” and that “a 24/7 moderation team” will be able to review reports and take action on violations of its policies.

The service launches today, but it's starting out as a fairly limited beta. It's only available on iOS (Amazon wouldn't comment on whether it's working on an Android or web version), and there's a waiting list to get access. It's also only available in the US right now, which may have to do with the complexities of music rights. Rolling it out globally could be tricky.

According to relevant users, Amp looks a lot like Clubhouse in the end. But listening to music for free may attract more users to sign up for the app. This will also increase the competitiveness of the app, because such services are expensive and competitors are unlikely to catch up overnight.

Amazon

Amp

Audio social market