Amazon has launched the Amazon Underground which offers a new monetization model for developers, paying them on a per-minute-played basis in exchange for the developer waiving normal download or in-app fees.
The pitch is the opportunity for a publisher to have guaranteed revenue for every Android user. Any developer can submit their app to be included in the program. Amazon pays developers for every minute a customer uses an Amazon Underground free app ($0.002/minute at launch).
The Amazon Underground is offered through a new Amazon shopping app for Android that has the functionality of the regular Amazon mobile shopping app with free play for all titles labeled “actually free.” Titles available at launch include Office Suite Professional 8, Fruit Ninja, Frozen Free Fall, Star Wars Rebels - Recon Missions, Angry Birds Slingshot Stella, and others.
The “actually free” designation is important as the Amazon Underground will include the full Amazon Appstore selections which offers paid opportunities to buy physical products, stream video, etc. The Amazon Underground is first being rolled out in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and France.