Alexa+ comes to the Amazon Music app

Amazon announced Tuesday that Alexa+, its upgraded AI-powered assistant, is coming to the Amazon Music app for iOS and Android devices.

The feature is currently available across all Amazon Music subscription plans, but is only available to users with Alexa+ Early Access. (To access Alexa+, tap the “a” button in the lower-right corner and ask your question using your phone’s built-in microphone.)

The introduction of Alexa+ to Amazon Music aims to create a more conversational approach to music discovery. Unlike previous versions of Alexa, which only responded to basic commands, Alexa+ is designed to engage in natural dialogue.

Users can ask specific and vague questions, such as questions about an artist’s influences or searching for a deeper meaning behind a song. It can also help recall a song title by providing the lyrics you remember or referencing the movie it was featured in.

Additionally, Alexa+ can create personalized playlists tailored to specific requests, such as “create a playlist of hits from the 2010s that start me off with a track by Nicki Minaj and move quickly,” the company suggests.

Some other examples provided by the company include: “Can you recommend new music that will make me sound cool to my 13-year-old daughter without trying too hard?” and “What is the song that plays during the opening credits of ‘The Sopranos’?”

Alexa+ was initially there announcement at the company’s hardware event in February and positioned itself as one of the first consumer-focused agent tools on the market. This assistant can perform tasks on behalf of a user, such as booking restaurant reservations and ordering groceries.

Although Alexa+ is still in its early stages and not yet widely available to the public, it has already launched More than a million users.

The company reported that Amazon Music listeners who tried the feature were exploring three times more songs with Alexa+ than with the original assistant, and those seeking recommendations listened to nearly 70% more music.

In light of this Spotify’s recent integration with ChatGPTThis could be a strategic move by Amazon to compete with the music streaming giant and showcase its own AI investments. Amazon Music already includes numerous AI features in its app, with the latest addition Weekly AI-generated playlistsAI-assisted search, and “explore,” which helps users learn more about their favorite artists.