How Amazon Is Competing for Your Attention | Steve Boom

Amazon oversees some of the biggest businesses in entertainment, from Amazon Music and Audible to Twitch and podcasts. But how does Amazon compete for consumers' attention, and how does it measure success across these different platforms? At the 2026 Trapital Summit, Dan Runcie sits down with Steve Boom, VP of Audio, Twitch, and Games at Amazon, to discuss the company's entertainment strategy, the future of music streaming, creator economics, and the growing impact of AI. Steve addresses reports that Amazon Music's subscriber growth has stalled, explains why music streaming prices could rise further, and shares how Amazon measures success differently from its competitors. They also discuss why Amazon favors non-exclusive podcast deals, the strategy behind its partnership with Oprah Winfrey, Twitch's growing role in music and live entertainment, and Audible's vision to make every book available as an audiobook in every language. Topics covered: 00:55 How Amazon competes for your attention 02:40 Oprah Winfrey and Amazon's podcast strategy 03:57 Why Amazon doesn't want exclusive podcasts 06:18 Is Amazon Music still growing? 13:47 Why music streaming prices will keep rising 17:15 Twitch's growing role in music and entertainment 20:12 Audible's global expansion and AI-powered audiobooks Steve Boom has helped shape Amazon's music business since its early days and now oversees a portfolio spanning music, audiobooks, podcasts, livestreaming, and gaming. Subscribe to Trapital for more conversations on the business of music, media, technology, and culture. Trapital newsletter: https://trapital.com/newsletter Listen to the Trapital podcast: https://trapital.com/pod