Amazon is integrating merchandise more deeply into Amazon Music, the company’s music streaming app — the latest example of Amazon tying consumer products into its larger media umbrella.
Fans can now buy merch from artists directly within the Amazon Music app. When someone visits an artist page on Amazon Music, an option to buy their products will pop up alongside their music videos and livestreams. Amazon is debuting the new feature with product lines from Billie Eilish, Gucci Mane and others. It is also selling exclusive-to-Amazon items from a handful of other musicians. Almost all of the merchandise on Amazon Music is available through Amazon Prime.
Amazon isn’t the only company to tie merch with music streaming. Spotify artists can add products to their artist profiles. The difference is that clicking to purchase those items on Spotify sends customers to a third-party company called Merchbar. That requires slightly more friction than buying from Amazon Music, which lets people make a purchase on the same panel as they are streaming.
Source: Modern Retail