Amazon Music Unlimited
$10.99 (Prime) / $11.99 per mo
YouTube Music
Free / Premium $11.99 per mo (or via YouTube Premium $15.99)
Amazon Music Unlimited includes lossless audio, is best for Alexa homes, and is cheaper for Prime members. YouTube Music adds YouTube's huge catalog of live versions and remixes and is free with YouTube Premium. Amazon wins on sound and Alexa; YouTube Music wins for YouTube users and rare tracks.
Pick Amazon Music Unlimited if your home runs on Alexa, you want lossless audio, or you are a Prime member who wants the discount.
Pick YouTube Music if you watch a lot of YouTube (the Premium bundle is the win) or love live versions, remixes, and covers.
Amazon Music Unlimited and YouTube Music both stream the major catalog, but each has a distinct edge. Amazon Music Unlimited includes lossless and spatial audio at no extra cost, is built around Alexa voice control, and discounts for Prime members. YouTube Music taps YouTube's enormous library of live performances, remixes, covers, and rare uploads, and crucially it comes included with YouTube Premium, so heavy YouTube viewers get it effectively free.
On price, Amazon Music Unlimited is $11.99 (or $10.99 for Prime members), while YouTube Music Premium is $11.99, or included in YouTube Premium ($15.99) which also removes YouTube video ads. The choice is mostly sound quality and Alexa (Amazon) versus YouTube's catalog and the Premium bundle (YouTube Music).
We compare price, catalog, sound quality, the YouTube Premium bundle, and ecosystem.
| Quick facts | Amazon Music Unlimited | YouTube Music |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Limited ad-supported | Yes (ad-supported) |
| Price | $11.99/mo ($10.99 Prime) | $11.99/mo (or $15.99 w/ Premium) |
| Lossless audio | Included | Limited |
| Unique catalog | Official tracks | Remixes, live, covers |
| Best for | Alexa / Prime + sound | YouTube users + rare tracks |
Each row reflects the feature on each product's current public release.
| Feature | A Amazon Music Unlimited | Y YouTube Music |
|---|---|---|
| Full on-demand catalog | Yes | Yes |
| Lossless / spatial audio | Yes | Limited |
| Live versions, remixes, covers | Limited | Best-in-class |
| Voice control | Alexa (best) | Basic |
| Bundled with ad-free video | No | YouTube Premium |
| Prime-member discount | Yes | No |
| Free ad-supported tier | Limited | Yes |
| Offline downloads | Yes | Yes |
Pricing and features change often. Always verify the current details on each product's official site. Last reviewed 2026-06-23.
Things neither product's marketing page leads with.
Amazon Music includes lossless and suits Alexa homes, but lacks a strong free tier and YouTube's rare-track catalog.
YouTube Music is unbeatable for live and rare tracks and is free with YouTube Premium, but its sound options trail Amazon.
If you already pay for YouTube Premium, paying separately for Amazon Music means buying music twice.
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See how the price has moved