Search giant looks to add iTunes-like service for Android devices
By Dan Gallagher, SAN FRANCISCO — Google Inc. launched a cloud-based music service on Wednesday that is designed to build up the entertainment content available to users of the company’s Android mobile platform, as well as other products.
Android
The service — known simply as Google Music — already has been in beta testing since the summer with more than 1 million users. The company formally launched the full service on Wednesday at an event in Los Angeles that was also webcast.
For Google, the service adds an important feature to the growing base of smartphones and tablets that use the company’s Android software, which has become one of the largest mobile operating systems in the market. More than 200 million Android devices have now been activated, Google executives said at Wednesday’s event.
More than half of the smartphones sold in the third quarter were based on the Android OS, market-research firm Gartner Inc. wrote in a report earlier this week. That outpaced the popular iPhone from Apple Inc. for the period, though the company’s latest 4S device is expected to boost sales significantly in the current period.
Google to unveil music store
Sony, Universal and EMI are expected to have deals in place to let Google sell their music in time for an event Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles, Ethan Smith reports.
To date, Google has lacked some of the media offerings that users have enjoyed on Apple’s iOS platform. Chief among this is iTunes, which has become the world’s largest music retailer and allows Apple customers to buy and download new songs straight onto their devices.
Google Music will provide the same functionality for Android devices, along with the ability to stream music from a cloud-based storage locker, as well as share purchased music with friends from the Google+ social network. Those friends will be limited to one listen each of the purchases track or album.
Google says it has about 8 million tracks currently available on the service, and that number is expected to grow to 13 as the company adds more tracks from labels who are participating in the offering.
Participating music publishers include EMI, Universal and Sony Music, but not Warner Music Group. Several independent labels are also participating.
