Amazon acquires Amie Street, shuts it down


8 Sep 2010

Amazon has bought out independent music marketplace Amie Street and will shut down all of its retail operations, leaving them to focus solely on Songza.

From September 22 on, users will no longer be able to access Amie Street’s services and all AmieStreet.com pages will be redirected to Amazon.com.

It urges users to spend all their credit and download all purchased music before this date, as they will not carry over to Amazon.

Amazon invested in Amie Street almost four years ago. The terms of the purchase were not disclosed.

Amie Street’s song payment methods were based on popularity.

Songs uploaded initially were offered for free, but rose in price based on how many people uploaded it. The top price per song was capped at 98 cents.

The price of an album was based on the sum of its songs, with caps at $5, $8.98 and $9.98.

The pricing scheme helped further sales of the music. If a song was more expensive, the user was aware that other people thought the artist was good, thus they were encouraged to buy it.

The company has now said it will focus on Songza, a service which provides users with the ability to create their own internet radio stations.

It’s sad to see the end of such a good service, which helps independent musicians sell their music and find their audience. Let’s hope they bring as much independent spirit to Songza as they continue to develop it.