Google Planning Online MP3 Store?
According to a report by the New York Times’ Media Decoder blog, Google is planning to launch an online music store within weeks. The company is apparently in talks with the big record labels, trying to nail down the details.
Presumably, this online store would work in tandem with (or expand the capabilities of) Music Beta, Google’s months-old cloud music service. Music Beta is of course limited in that you can’t actually purchase music directly from it; you have to upload your own tunes in order to stream them to your various devices.
Having an actual MP3 store would allow Google to compete more directly with Amazon and Apple in that space and give consumers another comprehensive music marketplace-and-streaming service to try out.
Google hasn’t commented on the veracity of the report, but if indeed it’s true--and Google can land a deal with music publishers--we’ll know more in a matter of weeks.
Presumably, this online store would work in tandem with (or expand the capabilities of) Music Beta, Google’s months-old cloud music service. Music Beta is of course limited in that you can’t actually purchase music directly from it; you have to upload your own tunes in order to stream them to your various devices.
Having an actual MP3 store would allow Google to compete more directly with Amazon and Apple in that space and give consumers another comprehensive music marketplace-and-streaming service to try out.
Google hasn’t commented on the veracity of the report, but if indeed it’s true--and Google can land a deal with music publishers--we’ll know more in a matter of weeks.
