Amazon Music
Amazon Music is a music streaming service offering on-demand access to millions of songs through tiered subscription plans. It includes a limited ad-supported free tier, a shuffle-only Prime Music tier for Amazon Prime members, and an on-demand Amazon Music Unlimited tier.
Score generated by AI agents based on publicly cited evidence and reviewed by the project maintainer. Not independently validated. Last assessed 2026-09-26. Score revised 2026-09-26: 60 → 58.
Score History
Timeline events are AI-curated from public reporting. Score trajectory is derived from documented events.
Amazon MP3 launched as a DRM-free download store, and by January 2008 it sold unprotected music from all four major labels, a direct challenge to Apple's DRM-locked iTunes. There was no subscription, no lock-in and no algorithmic steering. The main concern was the parent company's warehouse conditions, exposed by the 2011 Allentown heat investigation.
Prime Music bundled a limited on-demand catalog into Prime, and the Echo launched in November 2014 with Amazon Music as Alexa's default. Music Unlimited arrived in October 2016 as a DRM-protected streaming service, and in 2017 Amazon retired the locker for users' uploaded music. The Prime fee rose to $99 and then $119, and by 2018 the 'Iliad Flow' cancellation maze was in place.
Amazon Music added a free ad-supported tier (on Echo in April 2019, then on mobile and web in November) and HD lossless audio, which became free for Unlimited in 2021. Consumer groups filed complaints about Prime's cancellation dark patterns in January 2021, and EU regulators forced a simpler cancellation in 2022. House and EU antitrust findings against Amazon's marketplace, the Wondery acquisition and warehouse union fights marked the parent company.
Amazon expanded Prime Music to 100 million songs but limited most playback to shuffle mode with 'similar music' mixed in, and restricted on-demand play and downloads to a few playlists, pushing listeners toward Unlimited. The FTC sued over Prime's enrollment and cancellation dark patterns in June 2023. Amazon cut over 27,000 corporate jobs, including roles on the Amazon Music team, and added ads to Prime Video in 2024.
Amazon Music signed UMG's 'Streaming 2.0' deal in December 2024. Payout thresholds that Impala said demonetized much indie repertoire followed, along with Unlimited price rises in 2025 and 2026. The FTC's Prime case ended in a $2.5 billion settlement that forced cleaner enrollment and cancellation. Amazon cut 30,000 corporate jobs during record profits, and in July 2026 it put ads on Prime Music in India while the service kept losing subscribers.
Alternatives
Higher artist royalties and hi-fi audio quality with a more straightforward subscription model — no ecosystem bundling or shuffle-only tiers. Moderate switch via playlist transfer tools. Smaller user base than Amazon or Spotify, but the catalog covers most major artists.
Comparable catalog with generally better per-stream artist payouts than Amazon Music. Easy switch if you're already in the Apple ecosystem; moderate if not. No free tier, but no shuffle-only restrictions or Prime bundling games.
The most popular music streaming service with a comparable catalog and a free ad-supported tier. Easy switch — third-party tools like SongShift can transfer playlists. Less Prime ecosystem lock-in and a better-regarded interface, though Spotify has its own enshittification trajectory.
In the News
Dimensional Breakdown
Summaries below were written by AI agents based on the cited evidence. They are editorial interpretations, not independent research findings.
Dimension History
Timeline (62 events)
Amazon MP3 launches as DRM-free digital music store
Amazon launched Amazon MP3 in public beta with over 2 million DRM-free songs from more than 180,000 artists and 20,000 labels, including EMI and Universal Music Group, all encoded at 256 kbps. Warner and Sony BMG followed by January 2008, making it the first store to sell DRM-free music from all four major labels and a direct challenge to Apple's DRM-restricted iTunes store.
Investigation reveals Amazon warehouse heat crisis in Pennsylvania
The Allentown Morning Call published an investigation reporting that heat inside Amazon's Lehigh Valley (Breinigsville) warehouse soared above 100 degrees during summer heat waves. Amazon stationed paramedics in ambulances outside to treat heat-stressed workers; an ambulance service said 15 people were taken to hospitals, and a security guard told OSHA that Amazon would not open garage doors for air circulation. Amazon later installed fans and cooling units after an OSHA inspection.
Amazon installs air conditioning in warehouses after heat exposé
A year after the Morning Call's report on heat inside its Breinigsville, Pennsylvania warehouse, Amazon installed 40 rooftop air conditioners at the facility as part of a $52 million investment in cooling its warehouses around the country. The change followed customer backlash and media scrutiny after the original investigation.
Amazon raises Prime annual fee from $79 to $99
Amazon increased its annual Prime membership from $79 to $99, a 25% increase. The higher fee created stronger psychological lock-in for members who had already committed to the ecosystem, making it harder to justify paying separately for competing music services when Prime included a 'free' music benefit.
Prime Music launches bundled with Amazon Prime membership
Amazon launched Prime Music, offering over 1 million songs to Prime members at no additional cost. The service came shortly after Amazon raised the annual Prime fee from $79 to $99. By bundling music into the shipping subscription, Amazon created a competitive pricing advantage impossible for standalone music services to match.
Amazon acquires Twitch for $970 million
Amazon agreed to acquire live streaming platform Twitch for $970 million in cash, its largest acquisition at the time, weeks after Google had reportedly agreed to buy Twitch for about the same price; Forbes reported that Google had balked over antitrust concerns, since it already owned YouTube. Twitch had more than 55 million monthly active users. Amazon Music later partnered with Twitch to bring livestreaming into its app.
Amazon Echo and Alexa voice assistant launched
Amazon announced the Echo smart speaker with the Alexa voice assistant, priced at $199 ($99 for Prime members) and initially available by invitation only. Users could request music by voice, a channel through which Amazon Music became the default service on Alexa devices.
Amazon Music Unlimited launches as full streaming service
Amazon launched Music Unlimited with a full catalog of tens of millions of songs, priced at $9.99/month for non-Prime members, $7.99/month for Prime members, and a unique $3.99/month Echo-only plan. The Prime member discount used ecosystem bundling to undercut competitors while the Echo-only plan deepened hardware lock-in.
EU closes ebook antitrust probe after Amazon drops most-favored-nation clauses
The European Commission closed its antitrust investigation into Amazon's ebook distribution contracts after Amazon committed to drop most-favored-nation clauses that required publishers to offer Amazon terms equal to or better than competitors. The MFN clauses had prevented publishers from offering preferential deals to rival ebook platforms, restricting competitive entry.
Amazon retires Music Storage locker for uploaded songs
Amazon removed the ability to upload personal music to Amazon Music from December 18, 2017 and announced that tracks imported from other sources would stop playing and downloading from January 2019, ending both the free 250-song plan and the paid 250,000-song plan. Music bought from Amazon stayed in the cloud.
Amazon's Prime cancellation 'Iliad Flow' dark pattern already operational
According to FTC filings, Amazon had known since at least 2018 that some consumers could not find the less prominent link to decline Prime enrollment. The multi-step cancellation process, internally codenamed the 'Iliad Flow,' was already in operation, requiring multiple pages of diversion screens, discount offers, and confirm-shaming tactics before allowing cancellation to proceed.
Amazon raises Prime annual fee from $99 to $119
Amazon increased its annual Prime membership from $99 to $119, a 20% jump, after raising the monthly fee from $10.99 to $12.99 earlier in 2018. Because Prime Music was bundled into the membership, music users effectively absorbed a price increase without any corresponding improvement to the music service. It was the second increase to the annual fee since the 2005 launch at $79.
Amazon's federal lobbying spending hits record $14.2 million
Amazon spent $14.2 million on federal lobbying in 2018, a record at the time and a 460% increase from 2012 levels. The aggressive lobbying budget reflected Amazon's growing need to influence antitrust, labor, and technology regulation as its market dominance attracted increasing scrutiny from Congress and regulators.
Amazon Music launches free ad-supported tier on Echo devices
Amazon introduced a free, ad-supported music streaming tier initially limited to Echo and Alexa-enabled devices, with the same 2-million-song catalog as Prime Music. The strategy used Alexa devices as a funnel for ad-supported listening, creating a new advertising revenue stream while deepening hardware ecosystem dependency.
Amazon warehouse injury rates double industry average during Prime Day
During Prime Day 2019, Amazon's recordable injury rate exceeded 10 injuries per 100 workers, more than double the industry average. The total injury rate including non-OSHA-reportable incidents approached 45 per 100 workers. The Senate HELP Committee later identified Prime Day as 'a major cause of injuries' for warehouse staff.
EU opens formal antitrust investigation into Amazon marketplace data practices
The European Commission opened a formal antitrust investigation into Amazon's use of sensitive data from independent retailers selling on its marketplace. The investigation examined whether Amazon used non-public business data from third-party sellers to unfairly advantage its own retail operations, a practice that extended to how products were surfaced and recommended across Amazon's ecosystem.
Amazon Music HD launches with lossless audio streaming
Amazon introduced Amazon Music HD at $12.99/month for Prime members ($14.99 for others), or $5/month on top of an existing Unlimited plan, offering over 50 million CD-quality songs and millions of Ultra HD tracks. Tidal had been the main hi-fi option; Amazon's $5/month premium added another monetization tier to its already complex pricing.
Amazon Music free tier expands beyond Echo to mobile and web
Amazon expanded its free ad-supported music tier to iOS, Android, Fire TV, and web, directly competing with Spotify's free tier. The expanded free tier provided access to curated playlists and radio stations with regular audio ad interruptions, establishing a broader ad monetization funnel beyond Echo devices.
House Antitrust Subcommittee finds Amazon holds monopoly power
The House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee released its 449-page report after a 16-month investigation, concluding that Amazon has monopoly power over third-party sellers on its marketplace, which sellers described as a pervasive environment of 'bullying.' The report recommended structural separations and likened Big Tech to 'the kinds of monopolies we last saw in the era of oil barons and railroad tycoons.'
EU Commission charges Amazon with marketplace seller data misuse
The European Commission sent Amazon a Statement of Objections setting out its preliminary view that Amazon used non-public seller data to benefit its own retail business, leveraging its dominance in the French and German marketplace markets, and opened a second investigation into Buy Box and Prime criteria.
Amazon acquires podcast network Wondery
Amazon agreed to acquire Wondery, one of the largest independent podcast networks, folding it into Amazon Music. Terms were not disclosed. The deal brought Wondery's podcast catalog into the Amazon Music ecosystem, competing directly with Spotify's and Apple's podcast push.
Consumer groups file complaints over Prime cancellation dark patterns
The Norwegian Consumer Council published 'You can log out, but you can never leave', documenting confusing menus, skewed wording and repeated nudges in Amazon Prime's cancellation flow, and filed a legal complaint in Norway. Seventeen consumer groups joined the action, including a letter to the US FTC and complaints to regulators in several European countries.
Amazon Music HD included free with Unlimited subscriptions
Amazon dropped the $5/month HD surcharge, making lossless and Ultra HD audio available at no extra cost to all Music Unlimited subscribers. This eliminated a $60/year premium tier, briefly improving user value. The move came after Apple Music announced lossless audio at no extra cost, intensifying competitive pressure.
Andy Jassy replaces Jeff Bezos as Amazon CEO
Andy Jassy, former head of Amazon Web Services, officially replaced Jeff Bezos as Amazon CEO on July 5, 2021. Bezos moved to Executive Chairman. Under Jassy's leadership, Amazon would pursue aggressive cost-cutting through mass layoffs, organizational 'flattening,' and a heavier emphasis on AI and cloud infrastructure investment.
Amazon raises Prime annual fee from $119 to $139
Amazon increased its annual Prime membership from $119 to $139, a 17% jump, while the monthly rate rose from $12.99 to $14.99. The increase was attributed to rising wages, transportation, and shipping costs. Because Prime Music is bundled into the membership, music users absorbed the cost increase without any music-specific improvements.
Amazon authorizes $10 billion stock buyback program
Amazon's board authorized buybacks of up to $10 billion alongside a 20-for-1 stock split, its first split since 1999. According to Amazon's FY2022 10-K, the $10 billion program replaced a $5 billion authorization from 2016. This represented a shift toward shareholder returns during a period that would soon see mass layoffs across the company.
Amazon warehouse workers in Staten Island vote to unionize
Workers at Amazon's JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island voted 2,654 to 2,131 in favor of joining the Amazon Labor Union, becoming the first Amazon facility in the US to successfully unionize. Led by former employee Chris Smalls, the ALU overcame Amazon's intensive anti-union campaign. Amazon challenged the results but the NLRB certified the union in January 2023.
Music Unlimited price rises for Prime members
Amazon raised Music Unlimited for Prime members from $7.99 to $8.99 a month ($79 to $89 a year) and the single-device plan from $3.99 to $4.99, effective May 5, 2022, shrinking the Prime discount from $2 to $1.
Academic research documents Alexa voice search self-preferencing bias
Research presented at the ACM Web Conference 2022 found that across about 1,000 queries, in roughly 68% of cases there were products more relevant (per Amazon's own desktop search) than the one Alexa chose. In a survey, participants preferred the top desktop result over Alexa's pick in about 73% of cases. The authors raised fairness and interpretability concerns about Alexa's opaque product selection.
Amazon agrees to simplify Prime cancellation in the EU
After coordinated complaints from consumer groups and talks with the European Commission and national consumer authorities, Amazon agreed to simplify Prime cancellation across its EU sites on desktop and mobile, labelling the cancel button more clearly and cutting the distracting warning text.
Prime Music switches to shuffle-only, removing on-demand playback
Amazon expanded Prime Music's catalog from 2 million to 100 million songs but limited most playback to shuffle mode, keeping on-demand play and downloads only for a few personalized 'All-Access' playlists. Full on-demand and offline listening now required Music Unlimited ($8.99/month for Prime members, $9.99 otherwise). Amazon's music VP said the change was 'about improving the Prime experience, not about Amazon cutting costs.'
Amazon begins corporate layoffs in Devices and Books divisions
In November 2022 Amazon began eliminating roles in its Devices and Books businesses and offered voluntary buyouts in its HR (PXT) organization. Combined with January 2023 cuts, the round totaled just over 18,000 roles, and a further 9,000 in March 2023 brought the total to about 27,000.
EU Commission accepts Amazon commitments on seller data and Buy Box
The European Commission made binding Amazon's commitments to stop using non-public marketplace seller data for its retail business and to ensure equal treatment in Buy Box and Prime eligibility. The commitments run for seven years on Prime and the second Buy Box offer and five years for the rest.
Amazon expands layoffs to more than 18,000 roles
CEO Andy Jassy announced that, including November's reductions, Amazon would eliminate just over 18,000 roles, mostly in Amazon Stores and HR. Another 9,000 cuts announced in March 2023 brought the total to about 27,000 in under six months.
Amazon Music Unlimited raises price for non-Prime members
Amazon raised the individual non-Prime Music Unlimited plan from $9.99 to $10.99/month in the US and UK, effective February 2023, eight months after raising the Prime-member rate from $7.99 to $8.99 in May 2022. It began a run of price hikes that continued in 2023, 2025 and 2026.
OSHA cites Amazon warehouses for unsafe conditions and high injury rates
OSHA had cited Amazon in early 2023 after inspecting seven warehouses in five states, finding serious ergonomic hazards at all seven, plus 14 record-keeping violations. OSHA data showed Amazon's 2022 injury rate was 6.9 per 100 workers, and the Strategic Organizing Center found Amazon's serious injury rate was more than double that of non-Amazon warehouses. Amazon appealed the citations.
Amazon pays $30.8 million FTC settlement over Alexa and Ring privacy violations
Amazon agreed to pay $25 million for Alexa COPPA violations (illegally retaining children's voice recordings and geolocation data) and $5.8 million for Ring doorbell privacy failures (employees accessing customer video feeds, hackers breaking into two-way streams). The FTC found Amazon deceived parents about data deletion practices.
FTC sues Amazon for dark patterns in Prime enrollment and cancellation
The FTC filed suit against Amazon alleging the company 'tricked and trapped' consumers into Prime enrollment using dark patterns and sabotaged cancellation attempts through a process Amazon called 'Iliad,' after Homer's epic poem; the FTC later described it as a four-page, six-click, fifteen-option flow. At the September 2025 trial, an FTC attorney told jurors Amazon had enrolled more than 35 million people in Prime without their consent, and at settlement the FTC estimated about 35 million consumers were affected.
Amazon Music Unlimited raises prices for Prime members to $9.99
Amazon increased Music Unlimited pricing for Prime members from $8.99 to $9.99/month, eliminating part of the Prime member discount advantage. Combined with the earlier non-Prime increase, both tiers had risen by $1/month within the same year.
FTC files antitrust lawsuit against Amazon with 17 states
The FTC and 17 state attorneys general filed a major antitrust lawsuit alleging Amazon illegally maintains monopoly power by raising prices, degrading quality, and stifling competition. The complaint targets Amazon's treatment of third-party sellers, self-preferencing practices, and anticompetitive agreements. The trial, once set for October 2026, was later postponed to 2027.
Amazon cuts jobs on the Amazon Music team
Amazon confirmed an undisclosed number of layoffs in its Amazon Music team, affecting staff in Latin America, North America and Europe, a month after it shut down its Amp live-radio app. The company said it would continue to invest in Amazon Music.
Amazon Music maintains DRM lock-in with no native playlist export
Amazon Music continued to apply DRM to all streamed and downloaded subscription content with no native playlist export; Amazon's developer documentation says its streams are protected with Google's Widevine DRM. Downloads stop playing if a subscription is cancelled, and moving playlists to another service requires third-party tools with no official Amazon support. In November 2025 Spotify added an in-app import, powered by third-party TuneMyMusic, that can copy playlists from Amazon Music.
Amazon introduces ads into Prime Video for all subscribers
Amazon began showing advertisements to all Prime Video subscribers by default, requiring an additional $2.99/month for ad-free viewing. The change converted Prime's existing video audience into an ad-supported one overnight, establishing a company-wide pattern of monetizing existing subscribers through new ad surfaces.
EU takes DMA investigatory steps on Amazon self-preferencing
When opening Digital Markets Act non-compliance proceedings against Alphabet, Apple and Meta, the European Commission said it was also taking investigatory steps to establish whether Amazon may be favouring its own-brand products on the Amazon Store in breach of Article 6(5). Gatekeepers had to comply with the DMA from March 7, 2024.
Audible audiobooks added to Music Unlimited
Music Unlimited individual subscribers and family-plan primary account holders in the US, UK and Canada gained one Audible audiobook a month at no extra cost, drawn from a US catalog of more than 1 million titles.
Amazon Music signs UMG's 'Streaming 2.0' artist-centric deal
Universal Music Group and Amazon Music announced an expanded global agreement built on 'artist-centric principles', exclusive UMG content and fraud protection, which UMG's CEO called a new era of 'Streaming 2.0'. Within weeks Amazon raised Unlimited prices and moved independents onto threshold-based payout terms.
Amazon closes all seven Quebec warehouses to avoid first union contract
Amazon announced closure of all seven warehouses in Quebec, eliminating 4,700 jobs (1,900 Amazon employees and 2,800 at delivery subcontractors), including the 230 unionized workers at its Laval facility DXT4, which in May 2024 had become the first Amazon facility in Canada to unionize. The CSN union was nearing first-contract arbitration. Amazon said it was moving to a third-party delivery model; the CSN launched a boycott and, in a February 2025 complaint to the Administrative Labour Tribunal, called the closures a 'massive subterfuge' to escape Amazon's obligations as an employer under the Labour Code.
Amazon Music Unlimited raises prices again in 2025
Amazon increased Music Unlimited pricing from March 2025: individual plans rose to $10.99/month for Prime members and $11.99 for non-Prime, while family plans rose to $19.99/month ($199 annually). These were the first Music Unlimited price hikes since 2023.
Impala says indies report up to 70% of repertoire demonetized by Amazon Music thresholds
Impala, the European independent music trade body, said independents were being asked to accept Amazon Music payout thresholds, with some reporting that around 70% or more of their repertoire was demonetized overnight. The thresholds followed patterns set by Spotify and Deezer. Amazon defended the model, saying 'many' independents would see increases.
Lawsuit alleges Amazon Music shadowbanning and unpaid royalties
Musician Marc Mysterio filed suit in the Southern District of New York alleging Amazon Music and DistroKid failed to pay royalties on over 80 million streams and that, since September 10, 2024, fans got 'streaming errors' when trying to play his music or request it via Alexa, which he called a shadowban. The claims are allegations by the plaintiff.
Amazon lays off about 110 in Wondery podcast restructuring
Amazon cut about 110 jobs in its Wondery podcast unit and Wondery's CEO left, as narrative podcasts moved under Audible and creator-led shows went to a new 'creator services' unit within the audio, Twitch and games organization.
FTC secures historic $2.5 billion settlement over Amazon dark patterns
The FTC secured a $2.5 billion settlement against Amazon ($1 billion in penalties, $1.5 billion in consumer restitution) for dark patterns in Prime enrollment and cancellation, affecting an estimated 35 million consumers. The settlement, the largest civil penalty for an FTC rule violation in history, required Amazon to implement a streamlined cancellation process and cease deceptive enrollment practices.
Amazon cuts 14,000 corporate jobs despite record profits
Amazon eliminated approximately 14,000 corporate positions in October 2025, after reporting record 2024 net income of about $59.2 billion. Amazon framed the cuts as removing layers and bureaucracy to operate like the 'world's biggest startup,' and said more cuts could follow.
Alexa+ comes to the Amazon Music app
Amazon made its generative-AI assistant Alexa+ available to all US Amazon Music app users on iOS and Android at no extra cost across all tiers, adding conversational search, lyric- and scene-based song finding and custom playlists.
Amazon announces additional 16,000 layoffs in anti-bureaucracy push
Amazon announced about 16,000 more corporate job cuts in January 2026, following the 14,000 eliminated in October 2025, as part of an effort to reduce layers and remove bureaucracy. The 30,000 cuts since October equal about 10% of its corporate workforce, and together with the roughly 27,000 cuts in 2022-23 total about 57,000, while the company spends about $125 billion a year on capital projects, mainly AI and data centers.
Amazon Music Unlimited raises prices for second year running
Amazon increased Music Unlimited individual plans to $12.99/month (Prime members $11.99) and the annual family plan from $199 to $219. It was the second increase in about 12 months, and since May 2022 the Prime-member individual price had risen 50% from $7.99 to $11.99. The Prime price still undercut Spotify by $1.
Amazon posts record $77.7 billion 2025 profit, guides $200 billion capex
Amazon reported 2025 net income of $77.7 billion, up from $59.2 billion in 2024, and said it expects about $200 billion of capital spending in 2026, mostly on AI and cloud. The results followed 30,000 corporate job cuts announced between October 2025 and January 2026.
Judge lets Amazon Music shadowban contract claim proceed
In Mysterio's suit, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York denied in part Amazon's motion to dismiss and let the breach-of-contract claim proceed. The artist alleges that from September 2024 Amazon removed his music from stations, Alexa requests and recommendations. The court dismissed the claim DistroKid had challenged, and the shadowban allegation remains unproven.
NLRB orders Amazon to bargain with JFK8 union
The NLRB ruled that Amazon illegally refused to recognize the union that more than 5,000 JFK8 warehouse workers in Staten Island voted for in 2022, now Teamsters-affiliated, and ordered it to begin negotiations. It was the first bargaining order against Amazon, followed in June 2026 by a second covering a San Francisco delivery station.
Amazon puts ads on Prime Music in India and removes downloads
Amazon told Prime members in India that from July 2, 2026 their Prime Music benefit would include ads and no longer support offline downloads, with HD and Spatial Audio also removed. Ad-free, offline listening now requires Music Unlimited at Rs 99 a month for Prime members, and an ad-supported free tier was announced. Some Australian users also reported receiving the notice.
MIDiA data show Amazon Music losing subscribers
Music Business Worldwide, analysing MIDiA Research figures, reported that Amazon Music's global share of paid music subscribers fell to 8.5% (about 78.3 million) at the end of 2025. The service lost roughly 400,000 subscribers in a year when the market grew by 84.3 million, and Amazon executives had not mentioned the service on 2026 earnings calls.
FTC expands Prime settlement refunds
A court approved an FTC-Amazon joint motion expanding redress under the 2025 Prime settlement. Consumers who used 11 to 20 Prime benefits now qualify, the maximum payment rises from $51 to $200, and all future payments are automatic. Amazon had paid more than $845 million in redress by September 2026.
Evidence (52 citations)
D1: User Value Erosion
D2: Business Customer Exploitation
D3: Shareholder Extraction
D4: Lock-in & Switching Costs
D5: Twiddling & Algorithmic Opacity
D6: Dark Patterns
D7: Advertising & Monetization Pressure
D8: Competitive Conduct
D9: Labor & Governance
D10: Regulatory & Legal Posture
Scoring Log (7 entries)
Checked 90 items + prose. 49 verified, 30 corrected (3 date-only), 11 re-sourced, 0 removed. Fixed Echo price, EU commitment terms, layoff double-counting, Prime fee history, Music Unlimited price-hike sequence, Google Play rating (4.0 not 3.3), market-share framing, UK review misreading, DMA 'investigation' overstatement, FTC trial date (now 2027), unsupported Prime Video 15% and ads-per-month figures, House report misquote.
60->58. D2 6->5 (recalibration: thresholds and an unproven shadowban suit fit 'risk shifting' row; payouts above Spotify, no pay-to-play). D6 7->6 (recalibration: Prime enrollment/cancellation now under 2025 FTC order; remaining music-specific patterns are upgrade funnels). D7 5->6 (event: Jul 2026 India Prime Music ads + download/HD removal; 2026 price rise). D8 6->5 (recalibration: FTC/House/EU antitrust matters target retail, not music; Amazon Music share 8.5% and falling). Eras: DRM-Free MP3 re-dated 2007-09-01->2007-09-25; Prime Bundling re-dated 2014-06-01->2014-06-12; Streaming Expansion re-dated 2019-11-01->2019-04-18 (free ad tier) and relabeled 'Ad Tier and HD'; Shuffle Downgrade kept; current era re-dated 2026-02-11->2024-12-23 (UMG Streaming 2.0 deal) and relabeled 'Streaming 2.0 Squeeze'. Stage moves 3->2 (D2 5). Since Feb 2026: second Unlimited price rise (Mar 2026), Mysterio contract claim survives dismissal (Mar), NLRB bargaining orders at JFK8 (Apr) and SF (Jun), Prime Music ads/download removal in India (Jul), MIDiA shows subscriber losses, FTC Prime redress expanded (Sep); FTC antitrust trial now Mar 2027. Category 'Music Streaming' looks right.
Checked 9 removed/trimmed claims: 4 restored, 3 partly restored, 2 confirmed removed. Restored: $52M warehouse air-conditioning (Seattle Times 2012, new event); Google's Twitch antitrust concerns (Forbes); Widevine DRM (Amazon developer docs) and Spotify playlist import (TechCrunch 2025); $19.1M 2024 lobbying (OpenSecrets 2024 cycle). Partly: buyback narrowed to replacing the 2016 $5B authorization (10-K); 35M nonconsensual enrollments as FTC trial allegation (Transport Topics); CSN Labour Code quote in the source's words. Confirmed removed: OSHA state list (contradicted: sites were in FL, IL, NY, CO, ID); 'flatten' quote and 41,000-57,000 layoff range.
Triaged 2026-06-29; no rescore warranted (no material change since baseline, or changes sub-threshold).