Amazon has started running and promoting its own live music gigs in the U.K. as an extra incentive for customers to sign up to its Prime membership (via Engadget).
Called Prime Live Events, the initiative will offer music concert tickets at iconic London venues by major artists performing "up-close and personal". Tickets to the music shows will be exclusive to Prime subscribers and all of the gigs will be filmed and released globally through the company's Prime Video streaming service.
The first Prime Live Event will be on May 23 with a Blondie performance at the Round Chapel in Hackney, followed by shows in June featuring Alison Moyet and Texas, with Katie Melua performing the next month in Chelsea.
The U.K. ticket purchasing service Amazon Tickets – set to launch in the U.S. soon – also got an update today, allowing Prime members to purchase tickets ahead of general public release. Depending on the new initiative's success, Live Events also could be rolled out to other international markets.
Amazon has experimented with the concert hosting strategy before. Robbie Williams performed at St. John Hackney Church on December 14, as did John Legend at The Round Chapel the next day. Both were limited to Amazon customers and later released through Prime Video.
Apple has hosted an annual music event in London for several years now. The iTunes Festival was recently renamed Apple Music Festival to bring it under the banner of Apple's own subscription service, through which fans could view the streamed performances live and on demand.
