News: Starting Today, Amazon Prime Members Get Free Streaming Music

For $100 each year (unless you used Faisal's workaround to save yourself twenty bucks), Amazon Prime membership gives you access to all the best that Amazon has to offer. From free 2-day shipping to Prime Instant Video, there's a lot to like about the service.

Today, the online retailer has sweetened the pot for its U.S. customers. By giving its Prime members unlimited access to a new cloud-based music streaming service, that single Benjamin gets stretched even further.

In its early stages, Prime Music doesn't have quite the selection of other services. But if Prime Instant Video's recent acquisition of the rights to HBO content is any indication, we can expect the library to grow quickly.

Along with the new service, Amazon's Cloud Music app has received a makeover. Users with music stored on Amazon's servers can still gain access to their songs through the app, which is available on Google Play and the iTunes App Store.

The big draw here could be that the service gets rolled into their upcoming "Amazon Phone", meaning that whether or not you're a Prime customer, the service could not only be free, but any data charges incurred by downloading or streaming music may also be gratis.

So, what do you think? Are Amazon's recent efforts to step up its streaming media libraries worth the cost of a Prime membership? For me, at an average of $8.33/month, just the free delivery makes it worthwhile. Would free service and no data charges entice you to consider buying an Amazon Phone? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.