Why You Can Trust CNET Amazon Music, Twitch partnership lets fans engage with artists via livestreams
The feature launched on iOS and Android across all streaming tiers.
- Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal's Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.
Amazon Music and Twitch are providing a new way for artists to reach audiences.
Amazon Music and Twitch on Tuesday said they're teaming up to bring livestreaming to the on-demand music platform. Twitch's livestreaming functionality is now incorporated into the Amazon Music app on iOS and Android, allowing fans to engage with artists and switch between livestreams and recorded tracks. The feature is available across all streaming tiers.
"The combination of livestreaming, coupled with the on-demand playback of songs on Amazon Music, is groundbreaking," Amazon Music director Ryan Redington said in the release. "We're providing artists with more tools to instantly engage with fans, and this new feature couldn't arrive at a more crucial time in the industry. More than 1,000 artists have already connected their Amazon Music accounts to Twitch, and this is just day one." Twitch is owned by Amazon.
The feature is designed to help fill the void left by the cancellation of countless in-person events and shows due to the coronavirus pandemic. The goal is to provide a platform for artists to "establish a real-time connection with their existing fans on Amazon Music."
Amazon Music subscribers can opt to get push notifications from artists they follow when they go live on Twitch. They'll also be able to find artist live streams via Amazon Music's new "Live" browse page.
Beginning this week, artists, including Brandon Flowers and Nicole Atkins, will use the feature to connect with audiences live on Amazon Music's Twitch channel.