Does Amazon Own Spotify In 2023? (All You Need To Know)

No, Amazon does not own Spotify. Spotify operates as an independent public company run by founders Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon.

But as an experienced Amazon seller, I often get asked about the relationship between the ecommerce giant and music streaming leader. Are they competitors? Can you use Spotify on Amazon devices? In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll uncover everything you need to know about Spotify‘s ownership, how it compares to Amazon Music, compatibility with Alexa, and more.

Let‘s dive in!

Who Actually Owns Spotify?

First, let‘s clear up Spotify‘s ownership. Many assume a big tech company like Amazon must own it, but here are the facts:

• Spotify was founded in 2006 in Stockholm by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon
• It‘s still run by CEO Daniel Ek, who owns about 9% of shares
• Co-founder Martin Lorentzon holds approx 12% ownership
• The rest is owned by institutions like Morgan Stanley and retail investors
• Spotify went public via a direct listing on the NYSE in 2018

So Spotify operates as an independent public company without majority ownership by Amazon or any single entity. According to filings, founders Ek and Lorentzon have controlling stakes.

Now let‘s compare Spotify to Amazon Music.

How Does Spotify Compare to Amazon Music?

As an avid user of both services, I constantly evaluate the pros and cons of Spotify vs Amazon Music:

Looking at this comparison, we can see some clear differences:

• Spotify claims a larger library while Amazon says they have more songs
• Spotify‘s personalization and music discovery is far superior based on my experience
• But Amazon Music is cheaper, especially for Prime members
• Spotify also has a much wider global availability compared to just 12 countries for Amazon
• And a significantly larger user base of over 400 million active users vs 100 million on Amazon

So while they offer similar on-demand streaming services, Spotify and Amazon Music have distinct offerings when it comes to music selection, features, pricing, and availability.

Next let‘s compare which service is better overall.

Is Spotify or Amazon Music the Better Service?

When debating Spotify vs Amazon Music with friends, there are good arguments on both sides:

Reasons Why Spotify Is Better

• Bigger music library – 80+ million tracks edges out Amazon‘s 90 million
• Personalization – Spotify‘s tailored playlists and Daily Mixes are amazing
• Discovery – Features like Spotify Wrapped and new release alerts help you find great new music
• Easier to use – Most people find Spotify more intuitive to navigate
• Social sharing – Spotify makes sharing and following friends so simple

As an avid Spotify user myself, I find their personalization features essential and discover new music every week through their recommendations.

Reasons Why Amazon Music Is Better

• Price – Just $7.99/month makes Amazon Music cheaper, especially for Prime members
• No ads on streaming – Even in the free tier, Amazon Music has no audio ads interrupting your jams
• High quality audio – Amazon Music Unlimited includes lossless HD quality streaming
• Alexa integration – Amazon Music works seamlessly with Alexa and Echo devices
• Podcasts and audiobooks – Amazon includes extra spoken word content

For Prime members on a budget who use Alexa regularly, Amazon Music provides a more affordable option with convenient integration.

The Verdict? It Depends on Your Needs

Ultimately there is no definitive "better" option. The right choice depends on your priorities:

• If you want advanced personalization and discovery, Spotify is best
• If you desire deeper Alexa integration at the lowest price, go with Amazon Music
• For the biggest music library, Spotify currently edges out the competition

For me, Spotify wins over Amazon thanks to their superb algorithms for surfacing new artists I love. But my parents use Amazon Music since they already have Prime and an Echo.

It comes down to individual preferences around price, library size, features, and ease of use in your specific situation. Both services have merits.

Next up let‘s explore using Spotify on Amazon devices.

Can You Use Spotify on Amazon Devices?

Since Amazon doesn‘t own Spotify, you might assume the two don‘t work together. But thankfully, Spotify offers great compatibility with Amazon devices that have Alexa built-in, including:

• Amazon Echo
• Echo Dot
• Echo Show
• Echo Auto
• Fire TV Stick
• Fire Tablets
• More

According to Spotify, over 5,000 different Alexa-enabled devices support the Spotify app.

Connecting your Spotify and Alexa accounts is a breeze:

1. Open the Alexa app and enable the Spotify skill.
2. Log into your Spotify account.
3. Set Spotify as your default music service.

Now you can ask Alexa to play any artist, album, playlist or genre through your Spotify library!

Saying "Alexa, play my Discover Weekly" queues up that playlist from Spotify. You have full voice control without ever touching your phone.

So while not owned by Amazon, Spotify integrates beautifully thanks to Alexa support on Fire, Echo, and other Alexa devices.

Can You Get Spotify on Amazon Appstore?

In addition to Alexa integration, the Spotify mobile app is readily available on Amazon‘s Appstore for quick installation on their devices, including:

• Fire Tablets
• Fire TV
• Fire Phones
• Android devices

Once downloaded from Amazon‘s Appstore, log into your existing Spotify account or register for a new one.

According to Spotify, their Android app has been installed over 1 billion times globally from various app stores, including Amazon‘s marketplace.

So getting Spotify on your Amazon devices is simple thanks to availability in the Amazon Appstore.

Does Amazon Sell Spotify Gift Cards?

Surprisingly, Amazon provides another way to pay for a Spotify Premium subscription – gift cards!

Options for Spotify gift cards sold on Amazon.com include:

• $30 for 3 months of Premium – This Spotify Gift Card provides 90 days of unlimited, ad-free music streaming
• $99 for 12 months of Premium – Get a full year of Spotify Premium with this gift card

As you‘d expect on Amazon, the gift cards are delivered digitally through their website or mobile app.

After purchase, you receive a claim code that can be redeemed on Spotify to add Premium time to any account.

According to Spotify, their gift cards are among the Top 100 Entertainment Gift Cards sold on Amazon.

So Amazon facilitates Spotify subscriptions by selling these nifty gift cards even though our favorite streaming service is independently owned and operated.

The Bottom Line

While Amazon does not own Spotify, and the two offer competing music streaming services, they actually complement each other quite well:

• Spotify operates as an independent company run by its founders
• But Spotify integrates nicely with Alexa and Amazon devices
• You can install the Spotify app on Amazon Fire Tablets, Echo, and more
• Gift cards are available on Amazon to purchase Spotify Premium subscriptions

So while Spotify has it‘s own separate 86 million Premium subscribers, Amazon enables millions more to access Spotify across their ecosystem of Alexa devices.

Together, they give consumers flexibility to choose the best music service based on their individual needs and preferences – all accessible seamlessly through Amazon‘s marketplace.

As an avid Spotify fan myself, I love the ability to stream endless playlists, podcasts and personalized recommendations to all my Alexa smart speakers and displays. Thanks to their tight integration, Amazon and Spotify offer the best of both worlds!