14 DAY TRIAL // Amazon has unveiled several new features and changes to its Cloud Drive and Cloud Player storage and music streaming services. The biggest change is that, for a limited time Amazon says, users who sign up for a paid tier in Cloud Drive, will get unlimited storage for music, it won't count towards your storage quota.
All users will also get access to all of their Amazon MP3 Store purchases in Cloud Player and Cloud Drive and those files will be stored for free as well.
Finally, Amazon is revealing the iPad version of the Cloud Player, enabling the millions of iPad users out there to access and listen to their songs.
"Customers are already enjoying Cloud Drive and Cloud Player and now for just $20 a year, customers can get unlimited space for music," Craig Pape, director of Amazon Music, said.
"Additionally, we are adding free storage for all MP3s purchased from Amazon MP3, and support for the iPad. Our customers love Cloud Drive and Cloud Player and we're excited to innovate these services on their behalf," he summed up the announcements.
The big change, one that is clearly a response to Google and Apple, is the free music storage. Music Beta by Google can store up to 20,000 tracks for free, at least in the beta period, and Apple's iTunes Match will also store a maximum of 20,000 songs, for $25 a year.
Until now, music files, MP3 and AAC are supported by Amazon, were treated just like any other file, eating up space from your Cloud Drive limit. Now, if you pay for extra storage, 20 GB for $20 a year is the minimum, you get to store all of your songs for free.
Amazon doesn't reveal any limit on music storage, nothing in the likes of 20,000 files, but this is just a limited time offer. Free users won't benefit from the offer.
Initially, all new Amazon MP3 Store purchases were added to your Cloud Drive account and were stored for free. Now, purchases made before Cloud Drive was launched will be added as well.