Tag: streaming

Twitch VS Youtube: Which Platform Should You Start Streaming On?

Streaming is defined as “playing continuously as sound or moving images are sent in a flow directly from the Internet to a computer” as per the Cambridge Dictionary. In simpler terms, broadcasting your activities from your computer (or from your real life) across the internet so that viewers can interact with you in real time refers to as streaming. Over the past few years, streaming has seen a massive boost in terms of broadcasters and viewer base, thanks to some amazing platforms.

The first platform that comes to our mind when we talk about ‘game streaming’ is undoubtedly Twitch. Launched in 2011, a lot of factors contributed to its success. It had over 100 million unique monthly users by the year 2018. Out of those, 15 million were daily users. The fact that it encourages streamers and broadcasters to stream live, raw content without any sugar-coating was welcomed by viewers. And on top of that, the growing interest in ESports really helped fuel the platform, pushing it to the spot where it is today.

Youtube Gaming is fairly new. Launched in 2015, the platform was intended to break off from the mainstream Youtube ‘video uploading’ scenario and provide an environment where gamers can stream for specifically ‘game-oriented’ audiences. Given the mammoth viewer base of Youtube, the new platform gained popularity quickly, and after almost 3 and a half years later, its emerging as a strong contender to Twitch.

The questions that make their way into this scenario are very clear. If you’re a new streamer, which platform should you opt for? What are the pros of streaming on Twitch or Youtube? What are the cons of the same? See how both the streaming platforms line up against each other.

Content Discovery

If a new viewer heads over to Twitch, a multitude of channels greet him/her. Viewers usually find channels by browsing the games they are interested in. Now, upon reverse engineering this, its clear that if you are playing that specific game, a viewer MAY find you amongst a list of other streamers. And if you are a fairly new streamer, there’s a fair chance that the new visitors won’t even pay attention to your stream. This is because Twitch sorts the channels in descending order, depending on the number of viewers per stream. Established streamers benefit a lot from this, on the other hand, new streamers rarely get any attention.

A lot of Twitch users pointed out a serious flaw in the website: There are no thumbnails for live streams. Twitch picks out random screen captures from your stream and displays them as thumbnails to the viewers. There is literally nothing to set you apart from other channels, bringing forward the serious problem of not getting noticed in the crowd.

Youtube Gaming faces these issues too, but its algorithm helps new streamers get noticed by new viewers. For instance, if you make regular videos, stream regularly and have even a small number of subscribers, your chances of getting new viewers and subscribers are increased. Also, content creators can use standard videos to attract a viewer base. If a user has a couple of videos that have good statistics, he/she can use that video as the highlighted channel video to make that good ‘first impression’ on the new audience. Furthermore, Youtube allows the creation and upload of custom thumbnails, and even though they lead to clickbaits in some cases, its a better way to convey information regarding your stream rather than hoping that more random people join.

Rules And Guidelines

Since Twitch is primarily focused on gaming, they are expected to have strict guidelines because of the audience age range. A lot of streamers (and popular streamers at that) have been banned in the past for petty reasons. You could get banned if someone sends in an inappropriate donation. You could get your channel temporarily suspended if you say something that doesn’t comply with the guidelines.

On the other hand, YouTube lays down almost similar guidelines, but it isn’t as strict as Twitch when it comes to implementing them. Youtube content creators are allowed three copyright strikes on their channel before your channel disappears off YouTube. Demonetization of videos is also possible, if any non-compliant action takes place on the stream.

Earnings

Twitch has a very detailed and distinct monetary system. For every $5 the subscriber pays, 50 percent is claimed by Twitter. So, the streamer ends up getting $2.50 per subscriber. Donations account for the major chunk of the daily income. Streamers get a 100 percent of the donation money, and big streamers can earn insane amounts of money in a day just from donations. Viewers can also donate using Bits, which are Twitch’s built in donation system. Twitter takes a 29% cut per bit. And there are classic advertisements, which might not pay as much but are a steady source of income.

YouTube follows a comparitively simpler structure, where viewers can donate using Super Chats. YouTube charges 30 percent of the total super chat donation amount. Also, YouTube has sponsors where Twitch has subscribers. Again, YouTube takes a cut of 30% from each sponsor. Monetized YouTube channels earn a lot from advertisements too.

Also Read: Whatsapp To Introduce Dark Mode, Advanced Search In Updates Soon

In the end, it’s all about audience and preference. If the majority of your audience loves a specific platform, you may have to stick to that. Or you could just stream as per your preference and let your audience decide the rest. Streamers like Shroud and Ninja are making it big on Twitch, with more than 150,000 users watching them stream daily. It’s a long road, but it may be worth it in the end.

March 2, 2019
Top Free IPL Streaming Apps For Smartphones

The 11th edition of Indian Premier League is just around the corner. There will be a grand inaugural ceremony on the 7th of April. This season, we have 8 teams battling for a single trophy. If you are an IPL enthusiast, then here are the top three free IPL streaming apps available for Android and iOS. However, some of these apps are carrier specific and work only with a certain telecom operator.

Hotstar

Hotstar is our first pick of the lot. In fact, Hotstar has been offering free streaming for different Star-only cricket tournaments since its inception. With Hotstar, the user will be able to enjoy other regional content, cinemas and Hotstar exclusive titles. However, there will be a few seconds of delay in the streaming and one can overcome that by subscribing as a paid member. Do note that Hotstar offers free one month of premium for free of cost.

Download link: For Android and iOS

JioTV

Reliance Jio Network now has 100 million subscribers and the company is offering free IPL streaming for the entire customer base. One has to download the JioTV application on iOS or Android device. If the user is connected via Jio network, the JioTV logins automatically using My Jio credentials. Jio TV offers free IPL streaming not only in English and Hind but, also other regional languages including Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil. The company has also announced new Jio Cricket Season packs for Rs 251, which comes with 102 GB 4G data for 51 days (2GB/day).

Download link: For Android and iOS

Airtel TV

Airtel TV is the latest addition to the free IPL streaming services. Download the Airtel TV app and register using your Airtel number. If you are a first time Airtel TV user, then the company is offering free 1GB 4G data for the first 3 days. Along with the IPL season 11, one can also follow the ongoing Common Wealth Games 2018. Like Jio TV, this app is limited to Airtel subscribers and works well for both prepaid and postpaid users.

Download link: For Android and iOS

April 5, 2018
Pirate Bay Adds Streaming Option for Content on its Website

Move aside Netflix, Pirate Bay is here. The popular torrent sharing site has announced support for Torrent Time, a browser plugin that lets you stream a torrent directly inside your browser of choice. The addition of this new functionality has taken away the need for downloading a Torrent client such Utorrent or even downloading a small torrent file to your system.

To make use of the feature, the user will need to download the Torrents Time plug-in on their browser. It works in Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Chrome, on Windows and OSX. ‘Pirates’ can now go directly to the Pirate Bay website where they will find a new button to stream content easily.

Upon pressing this button a pop-up window will open where the streamable content will start buffering before playback. Streaming through Pirate Bay will include support for automatic subtitles as well as Chromecast, Airplay, and DLNA support, and hence has all the possibilities of becoming a major streaming solution in the future.

Having said this, streaming content from servers shared by Pirate Bay and its affiliates much like downloading torrents from it, is considered as piracy, so for all of you out there looking at this as a nice alternative to Netflix, know the risks before proceeding.

February 8, 2016
Netflix Wants to be a Premium Service Provider in India

Netflix has made comments which are bound to ruffle some feathers across the country. The company declares that it aims to be a premium service provider, not meant for the average consumer in India.

“We are after a small base of English-speaking people, who travel abroad, are wealthy and want to watch the latest shows that are being launched in the US,” said a senior Netflix executive.

The company has made sure that payment of its services can only be made through a credit card, already putting a filter for the choice of its users. Netflix launched in India last month with the Basic plan that costs Rs. 500 per month, and the Premium one which is priced at Rs. 800 per month. Users can try the service for free for the first one month by signing up at www.netflix.com/in.

Modeling itself as a premium brand is undoubtedly a tried and tested marketing strategy. At the expense of being dubbed as elitist, brands all over have tried similar tactics, and it has worked wonders for them -Apple being an example. Let’s see how the Indian consumer reacts to this. Let us know what you think of this move by Netflix in the comments below.

February 2, 2016
Should You Subscribe to Netflix in India?

Netflix announced that its taking measures to stop subscribers that use proxies in order to stream shows and movies that are only available outside their own country. “In coming weeks, those using proxies and unblockers will only be able to access the service in the country where they currently are,” David Fullagar, Netflix’s VP of content delivery architecture, wrote in a blog post. “We are confident this change won’t impact members not using proxies.”

The internet streaming giant recently went global at CES 2016, launching its services in a number of new countries including India. However, the launch of Netflix also comes with a few potholes. Let’s have a look at some of the pros and cons of having Netflix in India, and whether those who have been eagerly awaiting the service should go for it or not.

Pros

Netflix is Completely Legal

Online streaming, be it music or videos, is the next big thing. Gone are the days of actually owning physical CDs and a DVD player (Well, almost). And rightly so, when one can now find all the content available online. The only contention is does one take the privacy route or does one go completely legit. The problem was for a long time that privacy allowed people to get the latest of content in entertainment quickly through torrents and other ways that aren’t legal.

Netflix, however, is one of those companies out there that’s trying to fight online piracy. It’s channel and the contents are completely legal and are available though subscription. Yes, you have to pay, but it is worth given the content Netflix is offering.

Censor Board’s Got Nothing on Netflix

Netflix is completely and 100% uncensored. In a country where the censor board is looming around every corner, waiting to censor explicit (even mildly explicit) content. Netflix, however, does not fall under the jurisdiction of the censor board, as of now. And there are some shows and movies out there that just need to be seen the way they were meant to be seen. So for those who just abhor the beeps and cuts when enjoying their favorite movies and shows on television, can watch them uncensored on Netflix.

Netflix Guarantees Top Notch Quality, No Pop Ups

Being a paid service mean subscribers expect some benefits. When it comes to watching videos (and streaming them more importantly), one expects quality and clarity. This is what Netflix promises with its service. The Subscription plans are divided into three – the basic plan which costs Rs. 500 doesn’t provide HD quality, while the Rs. 650 and Rs. 800 plans do. The best choice for customers would be the middle one where HD quality and unlimited streaming are both offered. So, the one thing you can expect, if not anything else, is good streaming quality.

Another piggy back pro that can be included here is the lack of any pop ups or ads. While there are many free streaming sites available online that can give you shows and movies for free, these sites come cluttered with pop ups and possible viruses as well. So Netflix is the way to go for a clear screen with high quality streaming.

Anytime, Anywhere

This is the main selling point of any online streaming site. The whole idea is that you can watch your favorite content anytime across multiple devices. That’s the one downside to television, isn’t it? Fixed airing times mean that one is bound to miss out on some shows a or movie.

Netflix lets you watch any content (that’s available in its catalogue) anytime, and through laptop, mobile, tablet or even PlayStation and Xbox consoles. You can resume where you left off or binge through an entire season, the choice is yours.

Cons

Bandwidth Still a Problem in India

India is still catching up in terms of bandwidth. Speeds are good these days but still has a ways to go before we’re quite there in terms of seamless connectivity. Netflix is a guzzler of bandwidth and you will you require a decent broadband speed (2 mbps and above is good), and a ton of gigabytes in your plan. In effect, your total cost (subscription and broadband) will be above Rs 1000 at least.

Movies will drain a lot of data, be it on broadband or cellular, which means you will have to shell out a lot more for that. 3G connectivity will be needed while streaming and you may experience regular buffering.

Few Takers in the Indian Market

At least initially, Netflix in India is going to find a very niche audience. Many are yet unaccustomed to the online streaming site or the content it has to offer. Moreover, indian streaming sites like Hotstar already enjoys a huge population and these sites also deliver a great variety of Indian content, more so than Netflix. So, audience may prefer sticking to local streaming sites rather than dabble outside.

Lack of a Full Catalogue

Netflix subscribers do not have access to a lot of content due to a number of restrictions that are country specific. Netflix has arrived in India with a number of shows and movies that are still wanting. In order for subscribers in India, for example, to stream a show like House of Cards (which is unavailable on Netflix India), they would have had to bypass their own country and jump on to say the US region using proxy applications to watch the show. This is due to television channels owning exclusive rights to broadcast these shows in India.

The practice of using VPN, proxies and unblocking tools to bypass viewing restrictions has become pretty common these days. Indeed, since the launch of Netflix India, a number of stories have emerged online suggesting applications and tools with which one can do this. Netflix says it is working on bringing a full catalogue of content everywhere, and is working hard to stop proxy access.

While the pros and cons seem evenly matched, there is no denying that Netflix is here to stay. Despite not having a full catalogue, Netflix has some pretty great shows on offer which are definitely binge worthy. The first month is free so there’s no harm in trying it out before you make up your mind, is there? We suggest you start binging on Black Mirror, Narcos, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Orange is the New Black, for starters. Lastly, their original content is brilliant so go ahead, Netflix and chill!

January 15, 2016
Apple Music Reaches 10 Million Users in 6 Months, Spotify took 6 years

It’s only been six months since Apple started operations at Apple Music, and in that short span of time, this promising service has outdone market expectations, and already managed to reach half the number of paid subscribers that the market leader, Spotify has. Noteworthy is the fact, that it took Spotify, its main rival, 6 long years to reach this milestone of 10 million subscribers.

What makes this feat even more impressive, is the fact that Apple’s streaming service which because of it’s bug ridden, and clustered interface met with a lot of criticism at its launch. It was only after iOS 9 came in that many of these issues were cleared.

This growth of Apple’s premium music streaming service, which launched in more than 100 countries, not only raises the competition in the music streaming service space, but more importantly raises hopes for the future of the music Industry itself, which has been fighting a losing battle against Piracy for the last decade or so.

Deciphering this music industry analyst, Mark Mulligan had this to say,“It’s good news that Apple is making streaming work but it is also going to accelerate the decline of downloads.” Apple is rapidly gaining on Spotify and at its current growth rate has “the potential to be the leading music subscription service sometime in 2017.”

Streaming is slowly becoming the preferred form of consumption of music, and is growing rapidly as people give up on downloads. In the US, demand for streaming increased more than 50 per cent, with 164bn songs streamed in total.

Apple despite all of this has a long way to go before it comes close to overtaking Spotify. Spotify last reported its number of subscribers in June, and it is expected to have grown substantially since then. Back then it had 20 million paid members, and in total it reported 75 million users.

January 11, 2016
After Apple Music Apple Working on Video Streaming Service Like Netflix

Apple had busy year with Apple music, launching it on iOS and then on Android. The Apple music service made available globally received raving reviews especially in countries like India where cost of subscription was very little.

“Apple Video” is the company’s next big project with many partners involved, such as ABC, CBS, and Fox. Apple already has a large library of movies and video on its iTunes Store, which can currently be only bought or rented.

Apple has already worked out details with Sony Pictures, Universal and disney and may be negotiation with some other studios. NBCUniversal is reportedly not on board due to a feud between Apple and NBC parent company Comcast.

Apple has been working on a video streaming service, according to the rumour mill, for the past six years. It seems 2016 will be the year of release. With the recent news of Netflix going global and launching in 190 countries worldwide, Apple may have to move fast if it wants to get on with the competition.

With most new Apple devices supporting 4k content, Apple may launch the service with UHD streaming keeping in mind the new line of Apple TV units which have hardware capable of streaming 4k video. It may be a simple matter or turning on the feature via a software update.

Jimmy Lovine, who joined Apple with as part of the Beats acquisition, said:

We all know one thing, we all have different television delivery systems, don’t we all wish that the delivery systems were better, as far as curation and service? They’re all technically good. And Netflix is starting to cross the code because they’re starting to make some original content. It is really good, but still I mean none of us make movies here right, so we’re all punters, or what do you call them in the music business, fans right? We want to watch movies. Sit down with your girlfriend or a bunch of friends and try to find a movie online. That box helps you none — it doesn’t help. You’re on your own. And eventually that will catch them unless somebody digs in and really helps the customer. And entertainment needs that, it needs to live and breathe.

Apple will start the pricing for the video streaming service for US $20 as the base package and It’s claimed that the service will offer around 25 different channels, with the likes of ABC, CBS and Fox being lined up as partners.

Only time will tell if Apple does launch this service which they have, reportedly, been working on since 2009. And if they do will it impact the already wrong hold that Netflix is set to gather in the next few years.

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January 8, 2016
Apple Music to Have 8M Paid Subscribers This Year, 20M in 2016

Music analyst Mark Mulligan has estimated that Apple Music will have more than 8 million paid subscribers before the closing of 2015. The number will be more than double in 2016 as it is expected to hit 20 million.

If these numbers indeed turn out to be correct then Apple Music would have gained twice the number of subscribers within 6 months of what Spotify did in the first 4 years of its launch. Apple Music had become the number two music service by mid-2015 in a very brief period post its launch.

“Apple might not have found the subscription market quite the plain sailing it had anticipated but it has still managed to establish itself as the second player with astounding pace,” says Mulligan.

Come 2016, if Apple does indeed manage to get 20 million paid subscribers, it will be very close to catching up with Spotify, albeit still being on the no.2 spot.

December 18, 2015
New Yahoo App Helps You Find Your Favourite Shows And Movies

Ever find yourself in a state where you just have to watch a new TV show or movie but just don’t know where to begin? Yes, there are a number of streaming sites out there that cater to the movie and TV junkie in you, but seldom do you find someone to tell you where to start. Yahoo has heard your plight and has come out with an app that generously tells you what to watch and where you can watch it.

The app is called Yahoo Video Guide runs through all of your available services to find where your favorite shows are playing. Once it does that, a simple click will take you to that episode or movie if it is available from one of your streaming services. The app also lets you purchase the videos as well.

But that’s not all the app does. We all have preferences based on our current mood. So, the app also features a Mood Picker, which suggests videos based on your mood. There are GIFs that correspond to your current state of emotions. Pick the GIF and the app will do the rest.

Yahoo Video Guide is available for free from Google Play Store for Android users, and the App Store for iOS users. The app is yet to be made available globally.

December 12, 2015
Netflix is Heading to the Middle East

Netflix, the internet media streaming service, is planning to widen its reach by entering into the Middle East. The service is looking to target a population of 370 million, which includes a young, media hungry demographic.

John Evers, vice president and head of communications for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Netflix, confirmed plans of expansion by the end of next year. “We plan to complete our global expansion by the end of 2016. Of course the Middle East is part of that, hence our hiring,” he told the IGN Middle East gaming news website.

Starz, IcFlix, Telly and OSN Play are some OTT subscription services that already exist in the Middle East and have received a fair bit of subscribers already, which suggest that the market is ready for the big one.

Icflix was launched in 2013 and reportedly has 250,000 subscribers across the Middle East and North Africa, which include Egypt, Morocco, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. The streaming service offers Hollywood, Bollywood, and Arab content which include Egyptian productions as well.

Meanwhile, Netflix currently caters to over 69 million subscribers in more than 50 countries. Netflix is on a global expansion mode and is expected to cross 100 million subscribers in 2018. India is yet to receive the service, and we may just hear something on that front soon enough given that India has a a huge number of OTT subscribers as well.

October 29, 2015
Apple Music Has Over 15 Million Users Now

Apple Music has been growing since its inception back in June. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently gave an update on how people are taking to the new music streaming service, and he feels delighted, to say the least. “It’s going really well,” he told Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Gerard Baker on stage at WSJD Live. “Fortunately, lots of people are liking it.”

There are over 15 million users right now with 6.5 million users already paying for the service and the rest still enjoying the 3-months free trial period. After the trial period users have to pay $9.99 for individual subscriptions or $14.99 for families. In India, it costs Rs. 120 per month for individual subscription and Rs. 180 for families after trial period ends.

Given the number of users – both paying and non-paying – on Apple Music right now, the service is getting closer and closer to Spotify, which has over 20 million paying users.

The free-trial for June users ends this month. So October is the first month Apple has started collecting payments. There are people still joining the service for the first time this month. Apple Music has seen mixed opinions from people. There are those who especially love the curated playlists offered in Apple Music, while others are happy staying with Spotify.

October 20, 2015
Facebook is Working on a Music Streaming Service Of Their Own

With Apple’s recent and successful launch of Apple Music, the Music streaming space has gotten really crowded. With companies like Spotify and Pandora already eating the pie, Facebook wants now a big chink of this space.

According to reports the social networking website has already tied up with various music labels and has already started showing music videos which are ad supported.

With reports of a Youtube-esque video service for Facebook already in the works, an all audio variant is expected to roll out later this year. It would be rather easy for Facebook to just acquire an already running service, say Spotify.

However, the folks over at Facebook are mum on the conversation and fail to add any new insight.

Source : [tw-button size=”small” background=”” color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://musically.com/2015/07/08/facebook-early-talks-audio-music-streaming-service/”]Musically[/tw-button]

July 9, 2015
Apple Finally Introduces its Very Own Music Streaming Service

Apple has always been about building a secure, healthy ecosystem. They’re now bringing this philosophy to their new music streaming service. At the Worldwide Developers Conference, the company announced ‘Apple Music’, a service that seems to have the capabilities to put several successful music companies out of business. Provided it’s successful, of course.

On Apple Music, all the ways you love music can live together.

Here’s how the company plans to do it – with the new app, millions of tracks will be available to stream, and can be saved offline (bye-bye Spotify.) This library will also give recommendations an the playlists would be curated by popular musicians such as Drake, Will I Am and Pharrell.

At the launch, the company emphasised on how they’d like established, as well as emerging artists to interact with the users. For this, Apple introduced ‘Connect’, where artists can share pictures, music and messages with their audience. Fans can then comment, like, or share it via Messages, Facebook, Twitter and email. This feature takes SoundCloud a step ahead.

Lastly, an introduction that seems the most refreshing, is Apple’s new 24/7 global music radio station – Beats 1. With the radio feature, more than 100 countries worldwide will be listening in to programming and stations created by some of the world’s most popular musicians. It will have genres such as Indie rock, Hip-hop classical, etc.

Apple Music will be available 30th June onwards. For the initial three months, the service is available for free. After which, there will be a charge of 9.99$ per month. There is also a family plan providing the service for up to six family members, for $14.99 per month.

June 9, 2015
Report: Apple to Offer Free Exclusive Tracks on its Upcoming Music Streaming Service

Time and again, we are hearing about Apple’s refurbished music streaming service ‘Beats Music’. Earlier we heard of it pairing up with renowned American bands and artists like Taylor Swift, Florence and the Machine, but Apple has a couple of surprises before it makes Beats Music public. It was widely reported that the Cupertino-based tech firm will charge $8 for a monthly subscription, but it seems like now Beats Music users will find a free streaming option as well.

According to a report by Recode, some industry sources have confirmed a free trial period where users can listen to some tracks without paying for it. This testing period may range from one to three months depending on the negotiating deals with music labels. Under these negotiations, the music owners will be free to upload a sampling of their tracks, which users can listen for free without subscribing. It will be somewhat like SoundCloud which offers free music as YouTube offers video. There will also be a new version of iTunes Radio featuring human-curated playlist.

Apple also clarified it would never be like other free music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora that offer unlimited tracks without any charge. It is against advertising programme as promotion-supported free streaming doesn’t make much money, as per the company.

Last year, Apple acquired Beats Electronics and Beats Music for $3 billion. The service was launched only a few months earlier. The world’s most valuable company is gearing to tweak the service and release it sometime this year. Apple already enjoys a dominance in music downloads from its iTunes, now it aims to kick out the newly formed Tidal founded by Jay Z and several other music titans.

The Beats Music is scheduled to launch this summer at a competitive price of $9.99/month for individuals, while a family plans will cost $14.99/month. It is speculated that Apple might opt for a different name for its streaming service.

May 9, 2015
Amazon Quietly Launches its New Music Streaming Service

There had been a lot of speculations that Amazon may finally turn on its music streaming service this week. And they did just that a while ago.

In an attempt to chase Apple’s recent $3 billion deal with Beats Music, the online giant is testing its hand at music streaming, promising over 1 million songs ready to instant streaming pleasure. They were previously only offering a music downloading service. We’ve heard that Google is also in talks to acquire Songza, another streaming music service.

The new Amazon music service will be available to those who subscribe to Amazon Prime, its paid shopping membership option. Amazon Prime costs $99 and also offers a streaming video service that competes with Netflix.

The music service will work across multiple devices and will allow users to play songs as many times as they want, including some offline capabilities. There appear to be around 90,000 albums listed right now as options for streaming, working out roughly to the 1 million tracks Amazon promised.

The new offering is described as a condensed version of Spotify. Consumers would be able to access a restricted playlist of songs, but none of them would be the most recent chart toppers. The independent music labels, Sony Music and Warner Music Group have reportedly signed on to license their music to Amazon, though Universal is said to be out of the picture right now.

Amazon has also recently been encouraging its video streaming content by selling digital content – be it movies, television shows, books, or music – instead of its physical counterparts. This lets the company save money in storage and shipping.

This move may also have something to do with the fact that Amazon is likely to be releasing its own Smartphone next week.

June 12, 2014