Google Audio To Compete with Apple iTunes?
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Google, Audio, Music, iLike, Lala | Themes: The Internet, Software
Google is revealing a new music service next week.
Earlier today, TechCrunch reported that Google is planning to launch a music service, and has spent the last several weeks securing the content from major music labels. Initially this service was dubbed as "Google Audio," and it looked to take on Apple's iTunes, however it was unknown if Google's new service would allow purchase and download, streaming, or both.
Reuters sings a different tune of sorts, reporting that the upcoming service will be integrated into Google's search engine, facilitated by "start-ups" such as iLike and Lala. Apparently, Google users will be able to enter a song into the search engine, with the results pulling up a short streamed version of the desired song along with a "buy" button to "help reduce the number of steps fans need to acquire music."
After that report, TechCrunch uploaded a new update along with a scanned ticket to the service's big reveal next Wednesday, October 28. The site now reports that Google will organize music searches much like it currently does with public company stocks searches. It's also speculated that MySpace may be involved, as recently it acquired iLike for around $20 million.
Could this service actually compete with Apple's iTunes? It's possible, especially when users can simply enter a search term into Google and purchase a song rather than troll through Apple's clunky software. Then again, there's no word if the songs provided through Google's upcoming service will be DRM-free. Perhaps we'll find out next week.
-
Previous News Article
Thief's SUV Gets Gas Pedal... -
Next News Article
Honda's Hybrid Sports Coupe...
If the price is also 99 cents-, it will make itunes alot less appealing as itunes is bloatware
indeed ^
its google so i hope its light weight, simple and fast.
google is taking over computers, which is making everything cheaper, but hopefully they dont have some evil plan to put prices on everything once everyone is using them.
search, ad's phones, OS, music manager, email, docs, calendar now what else do they need, cheap but awesome mp3 player? their own computer line? pretty big area of market
oh and hopefully it syncs with EVERYTHING
google usually makes everything compatible, so if you can sync your PHONE, your MP3/iPod, calendar, email, whatever else, it will make this very appealing to everyone. itunes sucks cuz if you want music on a non iphone, you have to use some other program to put music on instead of using your already managed itunes. ugh fuck apple
If the price is also 99 cents-, it will make itunes alot less appealing as itunes is bloatware
I hope that google undercut that by displaying a small text google ad or something!
Zune Marketplace all the way.
I hope that google undercut that by displaying a small text google ad or something!
Search for Lily Allen and get an ad for utorrent
How can we answer when there aren't enough details available about what the service is like.
The one complaint I have about my iPod (120GB Classic) is how iTunes manages my music
I have nearly 400CD's (not sure of the exact number but its a large collection) and I like to keep them organized on my computer in my own way. It took me allot of time to organize them how I wanted them (ripping them took a little time too) I was lucky in that I had all my music backed up on another hard drive as iTunes totally destroyed my file structure... Once I got it sorted out to not allow iTunes to manage my music I find that it manages my music on the iPod itself 
I guess its Apple's way or the highway when it comes to organizing my music, I have all but given up on using it in all honesty. I tried some free software to manage it but apparently what I ask is impossible with todays tech... (I just want my folders reproduced on my iPod so I can pick a folder and hit play...)
So please who ever is working on this for Google if you could add that simple function do it! (I know it is not the external software that is responsible and that my firmware on the iPod itself is probably the one doing it but arrgghh)
I even tried to put iPod Linix on it only to find out that my model is not compatible (but if it was compatible, it does do what I want.... *cries*)
It should be interesting how this all works out. I've used iTunes and didn't like the format nor did I like how much it would take over file formats. I do like marketplace and the Zune software because my music is automatically organized so that I don't have to do it.
So with Google creating it's own software/marketplace it should be interesting how it works. Being that they are becoming more like Microsoft but with open source they should support the other players. However what's from stopping Apple or Microsoft from blocking them with a hardware update.