How deep is Amazon Music Unlimited?

[SamA]

Enjoying my Echo Dot. But I'm wondering how deep Amazon Music Unlimited (AMU) goes. I'm seeing about 30 percent or so of the albums I ask for not being found. And Alexa is hearing me right.

One more question. I saw on one forum that you can tell if an album is in AMU by checking amazon.com. How can you tell if an album is or isn't in their database?

[PaulKTF]

If an album is available via Unlimited, you'll see "Unlimited' listed under the available formats (next to CD, LP, MP3).

Amazon Music Unlimited has enough songs that I think it's a steal for the yearly price- especially if you're already an Amazon Prime member anyway.

[SamA]

Still trying to get a handle on why some music isn't in the Amazon Music Unlimited database.

For instance, no Fingerprints by Peter Frampton (a Grammy award winner), Broken Barricades by Procol Harum, McGear by Mike McGear, Whizz Kid by David Werner, etc. I'd never expect any music database to be 100 percent, but I'm just trying to understand why certain releases are missing.

Any clues?

[PaulKTF]

Still trying to get a handle on why some music isn't in the Amazon Music Unlimited database.

For instance, no Fingerprints by Peter Frampton (a Grammy award winner), Broken Barricades by Procol Harum, McGear by Mike McGear, Whizz Kid by David Werner, etc. I'd never expect any music database to be 100 percent, but I'm just trying to understand why certain releases are missing.

Any clues?

It all boils down to licensing agreements. Amazon doesn't have agreements with the labels for some albums. I'm sure more will be added over time though.

[SamA]

Thanks, Paul. Your explanation makes some sense. But in the case of Blue Note, the entire jazz label catalog is really hit and miss - about half and half as I try working my way through the catalog.

That said, I can say Amazon is doing a fairly good job making available new releases on the day of release. The one exception in the new release category is the new Bob Dylan compilation based on the 1966 live 36-CD set.