Article: Amazon Music HD Launches

[joelha]

47 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I don't think I understand what you ideally want. 

 

What I described enables the Amazon desktop app to store music on one's NAS. 

I'd like to be able to browse Amazon's selections from my NAS. 

 

In the case you've mentioned, I'm guessing, from my PC, I'd need to first select the music from Amazon I wanted and then, in this case from my Roon app, play that selection from my NAS. 

 

If I'm misunderstanding something, please let me know. 

 

Thanks Chris. 

 

Joel

 

 

[RichardSF]

55 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

You can store the Amazon Music HD downloaded / offline music on a NAS and stream it from there. 

 

Here is the setting.

 

I want to clarify that you can select where offline music will be stored, but the files will be encrypted and can be played only through the Amazon app. In their license agreements, music labels require streaming services to encrypt locally stored files (except of course purchased downloads).

[shadowlight]

@joelha only way that might happen is if your NAS provider has an app/support built in for Amazon HD which is dependent on if Amazon plans to release API's to call.

[joelha]

1 minute ago, RichardSF said:

 

I want to clarify that you can select where offline music will be stored, but the files will be encrypted and can be played only through the Amazon app. In their license agreements, music labels require streaming services to encrypt locally stored files (except of course purchased downloads).

Thanks for the clarification, RichardSF. 

 

Joel

[joelha]

1 minute ago, shadowlight said:

@joelha only way that might happen is if your NAS provider has an app/support built in for Amazon HD which is dependent on if Amazon plans to release API's to call.

I'll check but I won't be surprised if that option doesn't exist yet. 

 

Thanks shadowlight. 

 

Joel

[shadowlight]

Just now, joelha said:

I'll check but I won't be surprised if that option doesn't exist yet. 

 

Thanks shadowlight. 

 

Joel

I would give it couple of weeks/months to see if it makes any progress.

 

Folks on the BubbleUPnP thread on xda-developers are already asking if there are plans to add support for that.

[Gus141]

Yes, that’s going to be an interesting issue: who gets access to the APIs?

 

TIDAL and Qobuz have been great getting their services integrated into third-party apps that support high-end streamers (e.g. DS Lightning, mConnect, etc.). Folks who own multi-thousand-dollar streamers (Auralic, Lumin, etc.) aren’t likely to leave a service that they can currently control with their remote apps, unless Amazon Music gets on those apps/streamers (like BluOS devices).

 

[Superdad]

What these "hi-res" streaming services never tell you is the provenance/version of the mastering they are streaming.  This is relevant especially with older material for which there may exist at least a dozen versions.  I have downloaded HD releases, and ripped SACDs of many titles only to be sorely disappointed in the SQ in comparison to the better Redbook version of same. And I am not alone in this.

And with the streaming services one never knows how many times the files were manipulated throughout their path to the drives from which they are eventually streamed.  How many cycles of compression, up/down sampling, etc. take place?  And that's even assuming the source was close to an original master as completed in the studio.

 

I'm all for choice, I just like to have some idea of what I'm getting...

[shadowlight]

12 minutes ago, Gus141 said:

Amazon Music gets on those apps/streamers (like BluOS devices).

 

Big assumption on my part here.  Since, BluOS already has support for Amazon there has to be some kind of API that exists.

[Archimago]

47 minutes ago, AudioDoctor said:

I really don't see Amazon getting into the audiophile market for streaming. I see Amazon as having a much more mass market appeal and because of that I see this failing because 99% of consumers don't care about the differences between their MP3s and 24/192 nor do they want to invest a bunch of money into it. However, if Amazon can get audiophiles and take over the streaming market I see it all going to hell and them destroying everything. Like Walmart and Amazon have done to Main Street USA.

 

I don't think Amazon cares about the audiophile market at all - nor should they. Hi-res IMO for them is just a checkbox item to say they could do it. Hi-res streaming with the bandwidth we have these days costs peanuts and if this is their way to differentiate themselves from everyone else and tell the world they can do it ALL - lossy, lossless, hi-res at a competitive price, it's a fine business tactic to grab as many customers as they can.

 

As we all know, bandwidth is not an issue. MQA was always barking up the wrong tree to claim that their proprietary compression scheme was anything more than a transitional step just slightly ahead of lossless 16/44 (ignoring the other nonsense like "authentication" and BS around "deblurring" to make us think there was anything more). Well, it looks like Amazon has now leap-frogged over everyone; including Apple, Tidal, Spotify and on the same streaming playing field as Qobuz.

 

This is clearly very big news. I feel bad for the little guys even though as a consumer, I'm happy to give this a try when it comes to Canada (which is still awaiting Qobuz).

 

[Gus141]

3 minutes ago, shadowlight said:

 

Big assumption on my part here.  Since, BluOS already has support for Amazon there has to be some kind of API that exists.

API or partnership? Who gets to play with Amazon is the question; Roon or Audirvana+?  Time will tell, but if Amazon wants the audiophiles, they need to support audiophile equipment.

 

Desktop app mostly works to USB DACs but many prefer the tablet apps or at least all the options Roon software gets you with Roon endpoints.

[Jud]

14 minutes ago, Gus141 said:

Yes, that’s going to be an interesting issue: who gets access to the APIs?

 

TIDAL and Qobuz have been great getting their services integrated into third-party apps that support high-end streamers (e.g. DS Lightning, mConnect, etc.). Folks who own multi-thousand-dollar streamers (Auralic, Lumin, etc.) aren’t likely to leave a service that they can currently control with their remote apps, unless Amazon Music gets on those apps/streamers (like BluOS devices).

 

 

Listening to Lumineers at the moment playing on my main system from Amazon HD app on phone through microRendu via its Shairport app. The Amazon app acts as a remote.

 

This means my DAC rather than Audirvana, which I'd prefer, is doing the upsampling. But it does mean that with one of the Rendus, or another device/minicomputer that supports Shairport or a similar application (perhaps some of the streamers themselves?), streaming to the main system with remote control by phone is already available.

[Gus141]

2 minutes ago, Jud said:

 

Listening to Lumineers at the moment playing on my main system from Amazon HD app on phone through microRendu via its Shairport app. The Amazon app acts as a remote.

 

This means my DAC rather than Audirvana, which I'd prefer, is doing the upsampling. But it does mean that with one of the Rendus, or another device/minicomputer that supports Shairport or a similar application (perhaps some of the streamers themselves?), streaming to the main system with remote control by phone is already available.

Good to hear, and it should only get better as time goes by.

[shadowlight]

@Jud is the Amazon app the same one that you use for Amazon Music or is there a different one?  If different can you share the name.  Search apple store but not finding anything other than amazon music

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

7 minutes ago, Archimago said:

 

I don't think Amazon cares about the audiophile market at all - nor should they. Hi-res IMO for them is just a checkbox item to say they could do it. Hi-res streaming with the bandwidth we have these days costs peanuts and if this is their way to differentiate themselves from everyone else and tell the world they can do it ALL - lossy, lossless, hi-res at a competitive price, it's a fine business tactic to grab as many customers as they can.

 

As we all know, bandwidth is not an issue. MQA was always barking up the wrong tree to claim that their proprietary compression scheme was anything more than a transitional step just slightly ahead of lossless 16/44 (ignoring the other nonsense like "authentication" and BS around "deblurring" to make us think there was anything more). Well, it looks like Amazon has now leap-frogged over everyone; including Apple, Tidal, Spotify and on the same streaming playing field as Qobuz.

 

This is clearly very big news. I feel bad for the little guys even though as a consumer, I'm happy to give this a try when it comes to Canada (which is still awaiting Qobuz).

 

 

Your comment reminds me of all the barking done by MQA Ltd and @Lee Scoggins about high resolution's inability to scale because the files were just so dang huge. It just scaled bigly :~)

[emcdade]

I prefer Costco’s streaming service.

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 minute ago, emcdade said:

I prefer Costco’s streaming service.

The one where you stream into the store and your money streams into the cash register?

[emcdade]

Can’t wait to stream the new Amazonia Grande record while streaming reruns of the Big Bang theory on HBO.

 

The future is bright indeed.

[left channel]

[Jud]

23 minutes ago, shadowlight said:

@Jud is the Amazon app the same one that you use for Amazon Music or is there a different one?  If different can you share the name.  Search apple store but not finding anything other than amazon music

 

 

Hi @shadowlight - Same app. I found that after signing up, if I deleted and reinstalled the app it came back up as Amazon Music HD.

[shadowlight]

Just now, Jud said:

 

Hi @shadowlight - Same app. I found that after signing up, if I deleted and reinstalled the app it came back up as Amazon Music HD.

Thank you.

[Jud]

1 minute ago, shadowlight said:

Thank you.

 

De nada. 🙂

[Jud]

39 minutes ago, Archimago said:

Hi-res IMO for them is just a checkbox item to say they could do it.

 

I think it's a little more than that. I think they're after making just a couple bucks per customer more than competing mp3/AAC services, aiming at the kid or 30-something with what they consider a decent pair of headphones. If you want to appeal to as wide as swath as Amazon, a couple bucks per can add up pretty quickly. 

 

Think of it in somewhat the same way as Apple becoming a music industry behemoth, and launching iPods and iPhones, basically on the idea of the 99 cent download.

[AudioDoctor]

Bigly is my new favorite word, it took the top spot from Shenanigans.

 

 

[kennyb123]

2 hours ago, kennyb123 said:

 

Many are here to learn, not be scolded because they have an incorrect understanding.  

 

I’m sure most folks won’t be surprised that a certain someone reacted with Disagree to my statement above.