Amazon Prime Video has a smaller music documentary library than Netflix and a higher hit rate. If you already pay for Prime you probably have access to these without thinking about it, which is how most people end up discovering the best one by accident.
Prime rotates its music selection more than the other services, so we keep this list updated as it does.
The three, at a glance
What is actually included, so you can decide before you read any further.
| Film | Year | Director | On Prime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Strange Trip | 2017 | Amir Bar-Lev | Included |
| The Girls in the Band | 2013 | Judy Chaikin | Included |
| Mary J Blige, My Life | 2021 | Vanessa Roth | Included |
Start here
Long Strange Trip, 2017. Four hours about the Grateful Dead and not a wasted minute in it. Amir Bar-Lev makes an unusual structural choice, telling the story largely through the words of the people who were there rather than through music criticism, and it gives the whole thing the feeling of a very long, very good conversation.
Trailer for Long Strange Trip, from the official Prime Video channel.
The reason it works is that it never pretends the Dead were a conventional band. It takes their fans seriously, it takes the business seriously, and it does not flinch when the story gets dark around Jerry Garcia. If you have ever wondered what the attraction actually was, this explains it better than any written history.
It is the best music documentary on the service and one of the best anywhere.
The other two worth your time
The Girls in the Band, 2013. Judy Chaikin's film about female jazz musicians of the nineteen thirties and forties who played in the big bands and were then written out of the story almost completely. Rare performance footage and interviews with players like Vi Redd and Clora Bryant. This is the most underseen film on any of these lists and it deserves a far wider audience than it has had. It is a history lesson and a genuinely infuriating one, because you keep wondering why you have never heard these names.
Mary J Blige, My Life, 2021. The singer marking twenty five years of the album that defined her, talking openly about what she was living through when she made it. Vanessa Roth directs. Fans will find it cathartic, and the footage of Blige performing the album live for the first time is the highlight.
Pick by the kind of evening you are having
- You have a whole evening and you want the best of them. Long Strange Trip, and do not try to squeeze it into ninety minutes.
- You did not know this history existed. The Girls in the Band. It will make you angry, which is the point.
- You want something that is over quickly and still lands. Mary J Blige, My Life.
What else is there
Amazon's music documentary selection rotates more than the other services, so check your region before you get your hopes up about a specific title. Prime also carries a rotating selection of music films through rental rather than inclusion, which means the really old concert classics are sometimes available for a couple of dollars instead of free.
The distinction matters when you are browsing. A title marked as included is covered by the membership you already pay for. Anything marked for rental or purchase is a separate charge, and it is easy to tap through without noticing.
For the wider picture across every platform, start with the full best music documentaries list.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best music documentary on Amazon Prime? Long Strange Trip, 2017, a four hour film about the Grateful Dead. It is widely regarded as one of the finest music documentaries ever made and it is included with Prime.
Do I need to pay extra for these on Prime? Long Strange Trip, The Girls in the Band and Mary J Blige, My Life are included with a standard Prime membership. Some older titles are rental only.
Is Long Strange Trip too long? It is four hours and it does ask something of you. Watching it in two sittings works fine and loses nothing, since the structure is episodic anyway.
Does Amazon Prime have concert films? A rotating selection, mostly available by rental. The permanent concert classics such as Stop Making Sense and Monterey Pop live on Max.
How often does the Prime documentary list change? Often enough that we recheck this page monthly. Titles arrive and leave without much notice, so treat any list you read today, including this one, as a starting point rather than a promise.
Are there any free music documentaries outside Prime Video? Yes, several rotate through ad supported services. The main best music documentaries list covers where to find those.