Amazon has officially launched Alexa+, its AI-powered assistant, to the Amazon Music app on iOS and Android for users with Early Access.
Unlike the previous variants of Alexa, which only responded to basic commands, Alexa + engages in natural conversation, assisting users find music in a more engaging way.
Users can ask certain or obscure questions, such as an artist’s influences, song meanings, and lyrics to recall a track.
Moreover, Alexa+ is now able to generate personalized playlists tailored to detailed requests, such as “Make a playlist of 2010s hits starting with Nicki Minaj” or suggest particular songs for certain contexts and moods.
Originally announced in February, Alexa + can perform actions beyond music, like booking reservations or ordering groceries.
Early data from more than a million users shows listeners exploring songs three times more than with the original Alexa and listening to 70% more music when looking for recommendations.
The recently launched feature is currently accessible across all Amazon Music subscription plans, accessed by tapping the “a” button in the lower right corner of the app.
Amazon Music has been steadily incorporating AI, including weekly AI-generated playlists, AI-assisted search, and “Explore,” which offer deeper insights into favorite artists.
This launch comes after Spotify incorporated ChatGPT, Alexa+ solidified Amazon to rival in AI-driven music discovery and improve user engagement.
Alexa+ represents the company’s first consumer-focused AI-centric assistants in the music space, aiming to offer a more conversational, and personalized music discovery way.
