What is Amazon Digital Services? – Complete Overview

Ok so by now I think we all know how big Amazon is, they are absolutely everywhere, most of us know Amazon as a convenient website we can use to order products online. In this article, we will be looking at Amazon’s digital services in a little more detail, before we start here is a brief overview of the companies operations.

Amazon Digital Services LLC is an electronic commerce company that forms the most famous part of the Amazon umbrella. As the name suggests, the company retails pretty much everything, from furniture to digital products such as music, eBooks, software, music streaming, and more.

Amazon Unbox, an internet video service, was the start of the brand’s digital offerings. Since then, they have added even more services to the mix, let’s look at these in more detail.

Have you seen an Amazon digital Charge and you are wondering what it is for? I’ve been there! If this is you, I’d recommend opening a case with Amazon customer service support. You can find an email for this online or contact them through your app.

What You Should Know about Amazon Digital Services

Amazon Digital Services offer subscription-based products, you’ll pay a monthly or annual fee – annual subscriptions tend to be more affordable.

Here are the services they currently offer:

Kindle Unlimited

From audiobooks to magazines and eBooks – if you love reading, Kindle Unlimited gives you access to millions of books and audiobooks. New users can take advantage of the 30-day free trial. After that, the cost is $9.99 per month.

Amazon Drive

Amazon Drive works in a very similar way to Google Drive and Dropbox. Once you download the Amazon Drive app, you can save your files to Amazon’s cloud drive. New users get the first 5GB for free. If you need more space, expect to pay $11.99 per month for 100GB or $1799 annually for 30TB. Other plans range from $59.99 per month to $599 annually. You can download the app directly from Amazon.

Amazon Music Unlimited

Enjoy millions of songs and podcasts on any device by signing up for Amazon Music Unlimited. If you’re a Prime member, you only pay $7.99 per month or $79 annually. Not a Prime member? Expect to pay $9.99 per month – fortunately, the price difference isn’t too significant. Initially, you can listen for free, but you still need an Amazon account.

Amazon Kids+

This child-friendly service from Amazon gives kids access to thousands of books, movies, educational apps, and games. Plans start from $2.99 per month, but Amazon often offers plans at discounted rates. You can also benefit from the 1-month free trial if you don’t want to pay for a plan right away.

Amazon Prime Video

The Amazon Prime Video service lets you stream your favourite shows and movies from your smart device. Some of the channels include HBO, Starz, CBS, Hallmark Movies, and more. As the name suggests, this video service is also a part of Amazon Prime. If you’re a member, you get access at no additional cost – it costs $119 annually to be an Amazon Prime member. If you want access to Prime Video, expect to pay $8.99 per month.

Amazon Audible

If you only prefer to listen to audiobooks, there is also Amazon Audible. Prime members get free access to this service, while non-members need to anything from $4.95 to $14.95 per month. There’s also a 30-day free membership option for those who want to try the service before they commit.

Unfortunately, there tends to be a lot of complaints about hidden charges for Amazon Digital Services. I know there is a charge of $0.99 that’s added to your bill if you use the Amazon app.

Other common reasons for unknown charges include Amazon Prime subscription renewal fees and orders placed by family members.

Cancelling Amazon Digital Services

If for any reason you no longer want to pay for Amazons Digital Services subscription, the cancellation process is straight forward.

Once you cancel, your subscription will not stop immediately. You can still access your chosen content until your subscription expires.

For example, your annual Audible subscription will continue for a year even if you cancel after six months.

Unfortunately, Amazon will not credit you for the months you don’t use, so you might as well see the subscription through to the end.

If you are waiting for an order to ship, cancelling your subscription won’t affect this – you will still receive your order.

To cancel your Amazon Digital Service, login to your Amazon account and navigate to Memberships and Subscriptions. You will find all your chosen services in one place, which is convenient.

Select Manage Subscription and select the service you wish to cancel. Next, click on End Subscription, confirm your choice and Amazon will do the rest.

Selling Digital Products on Amazon

With Amazon Digital Services being so popular, many content creators want to get in on the action.

Selling digital products on Amazon is a great way to earn passive income without costly overheads.

I’ve written a guide to explain how entrepreneurs are selling digital products on the Amazon platform – you can access it here.

If you’re specifically interested in the self-publishing side of it, you may also find this article useful.

The Verdict on Amazon Digital Services

Amazon is one of the most impressive B2C companies in the world. Out of the many retailers out there today, Amazon has the widest selection of products and services, to be honest, it’s pretty scary when you think about the hold they have on the market.

As frightening as Jeff Bezos’s world domination might be I can see the value they offer third-party sellers like me.

I wouldn’t have become an Amazon seller if I didn’t believe in the capabilities of this online marketplace, in my opinion, they are only going to get bigger and more efficient.

Amazon Digital Services is convenient, affordable, and easy to use. For sellers, much of the same applies. Getting set up and selling your digital products on Amazon is simple and straight forward, and you can expect to get paid every two weeks.

If at any point, you have concerns or questions about your digital subscriptions, I have found that Amazon’s customer service team is pretty efficient. Plus, you can get in touch with them all week, at any time of the day.

I sell both digital and physical product on Amazon, I was able to start this business venture whilst working a full-time job thanks to the Amazon FBA program.

If you are interested in becoming an Amazon seller and have heard about the FBA program, I suggest reading this, it explains how I started my Amazon FBA business.

If you have any questions about the process, I would love to hear from you in the comments section below.