Google Music to launch before the end of the year?

[Barefootsies]

Yet one more feather in the cap of 'G'.

Google is reported to be planning a launch for its Google Music service for Q4 this year to coincide with the arrival of the Android 3.0 operating system (OS) for mobile.

Reports in Israel's media have claimed Android product manager Gavreb Jain, on a visit to the country, confirmed that a download service and a new Android OS will debut in time for the US holiday season.

He is also reported to have said that music will be a major part of the new iteration of Android.

Google announced in May that it had acquired Simplify Media and was planning a cloud-based streaming music solution. This followed Apple's acquisition of streaming company Lala in December.

Recent reports have surfaced suggesting that Google will also expand last year's OneBox initiative. Instead of pointing music-based searches, however, to third-parties like Pandora and MySpace, Google will handle all the fulfillment itself on an à la carte basis to be followed by a subscription service at some point in 2011.

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Time will tell if this is good or bad for the music industry and internet radio, or online music. I know with the constant fight over royalty rates for internet radio stations. It is difficult for few to compete anymore with the big boys. I had looked at doing an online radio type of option, legally, and it would be very costly considering the royalty rates.

 

[pegasus2218]

Time will tell if this is good or bad for the music industry and internet radio, or online music.

Any time people have another option for paying for music it's a good thing for the industry. Without these types of services more people would turn to torrents, rapidshare, etc. I've never done any research as to what percentage of the population gets their music for free, but I imagine it's growing every day.

I'm interested to see how they'll sync this with their other big property - YouTube. Right now lots of people use YT as a radio station, and I wonder if G is catching on. Or maybe they're just sick of putting iTunes ads in every video that has a song in it and have decided to go direct.

 

[blank_czech]

Google better make sure I can get this new update on my phone if they expect me to buy any music. I'm still waiting for 2.2

 

[Barefootsies]

Any time people have another option for paying for music it's a good thing for the industry. Without these types of services more people would turn to torrents, rapidshare, etc. I've never done any research as to what percentage of the population gets their music for free, but I imagine it's growing every day.

I'm interested to see how they'll sync this with their other big property - YouTube. Right now lots of people use YT as a radio station, and I wonder if G is catching on. Or maybe they're just sick of putting iTunes ads in every video that has a song in it and have decided to go direct.

Well, there is a lot of money to be made and with the volume they can push, it is a sounds business decision for them. Even if they were making a nickel per song. They have they the market share, and volume to make it well worth any cost.

Plus the music companies would probably be pissing in their panties salivating over the sales numbers they could reach, and the ways to work a payola on their new artists.

 

[ittybitty]

Google's not going to be happy until they rule the world lol.

However its going to be interesting to see how Google's going to handle the music industry.