Amazon Music permits customers in Canada to talk and stream music with one another | TechCrunch

Amazon Music introduced on Monday the launch of “Fan Groups,” a brand new beta characteristic that lets customers create and be part of teams based mostly on their favourite genres and artists. The characteristic permits followers to talk, put up, and hearken to songs shared inside these teams.

The characteristic is at the moment being examined in Canada on iOS and Android units.

Customers can entry Fan Teams via the “Find” tab situated beneath the search bar on the high of the app. From there, they’ll discover over 30 totally different teams devoted to varied musical pursuits, starting from indie rock and nation to Punjabi and Okay-pop, in response to an organization weblog put up.

Group members can create new posts, take part in ongoing chat threads, and share or save beneficial songs. Customers can even stream music with out leaving the dialog or the group — they’ll merely faucet the play button on the high to hearken to all of the songs added, or navigate to the separate “Music” tab subsequent to “Posts.”

Notably, artists can be part of these teams, giving them a brand new approach to join with followers immediately. They will share unique content material, work together extra personally, and construct stronger communities with their supporters.

Anybody can arrange a brand new group, and directors can mute members and delete messages, an organization spokesperson instructed TechCrunch. Customers can report content material and might block different members if wanted. 

This new characteristic represents Amazon’s technique to compete with Spotify, which has been working to have interaction customers via varied social options. 

Spotify launched a messaging characteristic in August and in addition a “Jam” characteristic that permits customers to co-create playlists with associates and hearken to songs collectively. 

SoundCloud additionally provides a commenting characteristic and has lately up to date its platform to incorporate new social functionalities, equivalent to playlists based mostly on what associates are listening to and a direct messaging device for artists. One other platform, Stationhead, permits customers to hearken to music collectively throughout livestreaming events.

Fan Teams is ready to roll out to prospects within the U.S. and different markets starting subsequent 12 months.