Try typing “list of Amazon subsidiaries” in Google Search. Watch the carousel of Amazon companies that you may not have heard about at the top of the page. The Amazon Empire may be more interesting than you first thought…
…because Amazon is the Walmart of the future. All of the technologies pioneered by Amazon affect our daily life. Think of how drone deliveries or internet-connected doorbells and security cameras will change our lives. It’s both fantastic and scary. Here are nine popular websites owned by Amazon.
1. IMDb
When you search for a movie review, IMDb will pop up first on Google. The Internet Movie Database is an information hose of television shows, movies, and actors. Amazon bought the site to support its online video sales. Since then both have mushroomed and you will probably head to IMDb first before you go to Amazon.
All Amazon Prime subscribers can keep the Amazon Originals page bookmarked. Or keep watching the IMDb Show when you don’t want to read. Amazon Prime’s X-Ray feature, which gives you an inside peek into a movie is also powered by IMDb.
There is also subscription service called IMDbPro which allows subscribers to network with entertainment professionals.
An IMDb tip you can use: The Coming Soon page is a definitive resource to stay updated on movies coming out soon and near you!
2. Goodreads
If IMDb is the best site for movie reviews, then Goodreads is the town square for hardcore book lovers. Search for your favorite book or even the next book you want to read. The online book club gives you reader opinions from the couch. When Amazon bought Goodreads, it was met with a howl of protests by book lovers. But you can only embrace the benefits.
Goodreads is the best tool to organize your book collection and create a reading list for the future. Find the best-reviewed books and buy them from Amazon. Goodreads on Kindle helps you follow friends and see what they are reading. You can share and rate books right from your Kindle.
A Goodreads tip you can use: The book site has a Giveaway program that can net you free books.
3. AbeBooks
AbeBooks is another online marketplace for books. But so is Amazon. What makes AbeBooks different? The experience!
On AbeBooks, booksellers around the world offer brand new books, used books, rare books, first-editions, textbooks, and out-of-print books for sale. It is a destination for the book lover who is looking for that rare book in the haystack.
AbeBooks is the curio shop while Amazon is the mall. Apart from books offered by independent bookstores, the site also has a Fine Art & Collectibles section. Find old maps, vintage manuscripts, and even photographs. The selections are a collector’s dream.
An AbeBooks tip you can use: Their blog called AbeBooks’ Reading Copy is a hidden gem which you should definitely bookmark.
4. Comixology
Comixology is the premier destination for comic book buys and Amazon owns it too. In fact, Comixology Unlimited (for $5.99 per month) can be paired with your Amazon account.
Also, any comic book you buy on Amazon or here can be read with the Comixology apps for Android, iOS, and Kindle Fire. Do note that Comixology Unlimited is only available in the US.
A Comixology tip you can use: Prices of comic books may differ between Amazon and Comixology as the former offers discounts in order to attract Comixology Unlimited signups.
5. Audible
Amazon knows that not everyone has the time to read. But anyone can take a “listening break”. This is where Audible comes in with its range of audiobook titles. Audible is also a part of Kindle so that you can read on the couch and start listening from the exact point when you decide to take a walk. Amazon calls it Whispersync.
Audible also has audio versions of newspapers and magazines as well as radio programs. Check out these Audible tips to get the most out of your subscription.
An Audible tip you can use: The Great Listen Guarantee allows you to return an audiobook for another title up to one year after a purchase!
6. Zappos
Zappos is one of those companies that took a very personal experience and disrupted it. The online shoe store grabbed popularity for its top-notch customer service and its fantastic 365-day return policy.
Amazon coughed up $1.2 billion to purchase the company. And kept its wacky work culture intact which still makes it one of the most fun places to work.
Zappos is about customer delight. Amazon is about warehouse to doorstep delivery anywhere in the world. As a shoe lover, you get to enjoy the best of both worlds as Zappos plans to expand worldwide.
A Zappos tip you can use: Zappos has a dedicated online shop for sneakers called The_ONES.
7. Shopbop
You may not think Amazon has much to do with high fashion for women, but it has that niche covered with Shopbop. It started its life in 1999 as a brick-and-mortar fashion store for women in Wisconsin and was an early adopter of online shopping. Until Amazon bought it.
Shopbop has gone through a visual makeover even as it drives Amazon Fashion. If you are into Salvatore Ferragamo’s and Donna Karan, then ShopBop is a bona fide destination. Log in with your Amazon account. All purchases on Shopbop are eligible for Amazon Prime’s free two-day shipping.
A Shopbop tip you can use: Want inspiration? Check out Shopbop’s Instagram feed for some online window shopping.
8. Twitch
Twitch is the live video-game streaming platform that is owned by Amazon. The “YouTube for video games” has had a big impact on video game culture. And it has helped Amazon connect with the teen demographic. Access to Twitch (Twitch Prime) is free with Amazon Prime membership, so that nearly makes Amazon Prime a complete entertainment package.
Twitch Prime is included with Amazon Prime in the US, Mexico, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Japan, Singapore, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Twitch Prime is included with Prime Video in over 200 other countries and territories.
A Twitch tip you can use: Did you know that the NBA G League is on Twitch? And you can even co-stream any game on your own channel!
9. CreateSpace
Self-publishing is mainstream now. CreateSpace gives you the complete toolset to help you self-publish anything. You can distribute your books and video downloads on-demand on Amazon.com and other channels. Creativity is yours. The audience is Amazon’s.
Thanks to the free publishing tools on CreateSpace, you just need to start with an idea. It’s a profitable place to channel all your side-hustle ideas if you are a writer, musician or a filmmaker.
Just look into the differences between CreateSpace and Kindle Direct Publishing. Here’s what Amazon has to say about the differences between the two platforms.
A CreateSpace tip you can use: The CreateSpace forum has several communities which are valuable writing and marketing tips.
Are Your Surprised by Any Site on This List?
The list of Amazon subsidiaries can continue to scroll like the Star Wars credits. The mind boggles at all of the companies and amazing technologies spawned by Amazon.
Other notable Amazon-owned brands include Alexa.com, DPReview, Box Office Mojo, Double Helix Games, Brilliance Audio, Shelfari, and even a subsidiary called Beijing Century Joyo Courier Services. Are there any other notable ones we missed?
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