You stopped buying CDs and moved all your music online? Well it may not be as safe as you think and there may well still be a place for physical media as Amazon becomes the latest company to close their music storage solution meaning if you use their service then you’re about to lose your music.
It’s not completely unheard of for music lovers to lose their entire collections. Upset Apple and if they close your account you lose everything. Upset Amazon and if they close your account you lose your music. Just about any online storage solution is only as good as your account and once it’s gone it’s gone.
Up until December 2017, you could upload your own music to Amazon Music and they’d store it for you. Now, as of the 29th of April 2018, Amazon Music storage plans can no longer be renewed. If you don’t download your Music it will be deleted forever by January 2019 (sooner if you don’t ask them to keep your music), although Music purchased from Amazon (MP3s or AutoRip from CDs) will remain securely stored for free.
To play or download your previously uploaded songs after your Amazon Music Storage subscription expires, go to Your Amazon Music Settings and select “Keep my songs.” This needs to be done before your subscription expires. After your subscription expires there will be no option to restart your subscription and additional music can’t be uploaded.
Amazon helpfully provide instructions on how to download and save your music should you wish to keep it. If you don’t do this then sadly you lose your music forever.
PS Happy April Fools’ Day, but this is not a joke, you can verify the news here.
