Google to counter Apple's iTunes with its own online music store

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Google on Wednesday is expected to announce a new online music store that will let users buy and store songs online and listen to them on multiple devices, in direct competition with Apple's iTunes.



Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg has reported that Google has secured the necessary licenses from Sony, Universal and EMI for its soon-to-launch music store. But the search giant has not yet reached an agreement with Warner Music Group "because of pricing and piracy concerns."



Google's anticipated jump into the online music sales business comes more than 8 years after Apple launched its own iTunes Music Store in late April of 2003. That time has given Apple a huge head start, with the company announcing in June that more than 15 billion total songs have been downloaded.



The report said that Google is also looking to obtain rights for users of its social networking service, Google+, to share music with one another. The company declined to comment.



Earlier this year, the Google Music beta was launched, though it didn't include any actual music sales. The company instead sidestepped licensing agreements and allows users to upload and stream their own tracks from a digital online locker.







Apple instead took a different approach, and obtained licenses to allow users to re-download any music they have purchased through iTunes again on other devices with its iTunes in the Cloud service. The newly launched iTunes Match service even goes one step further, allowing users to match their personal collection of songs, including ones obtained from sources outside of the iTunes Music Store, and re-download those tracks to other devices.



Google's kickoff event begins Wednesday at 2 p.m. Pacific, 5 p.m. Eastern. It will be streamed from youtube.com/android.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 91
    meh 2meh 2 Posts: 149member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Google on Wednesday is expected to announce a new online music store that will let users buy and store songs online and listen to them on multiple devices, in direct competition with Apple's iTunes.



    I have the strangest feeling I've seen this already at least two distinct other times ... must be getting old
  • Reply 2 of 91
    conradjoeconradjoe Posts: 1,887member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Google on Wednesday is expected to announce a new online music store that will let users buy and store songs online and listen to them on multiple devices, in direct competition with Apple's iTunes.








    Pure EVIL!
  • Reply 3 of 91
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by meh 2 View Post


    I have the strangest feeling I've seen this already at least two distinct other times ... must be getting old



    The problem is that Google's approach to anyone's intellectual property but their own is "we want to copy it without permission and without paying royalties". Look at what they tried to do with books before they were stopped.
  • Reply 4 of 91
    "We didn't enter the search business, they entered the phone business. And the TV business. And the MUSIC business. AND the? "
  • Reply 5 of 91
    conradjoeconradjoe Posts: 1,887member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    "We didn't enter the search business, they entered the phone business. And the TV business. And the MUSIC business. AND the? "



    And the Mapping Business!



  • Reply 6 of 91
    Amazon is already doing this very thing for non-Apple devices. How does Google hope to convince people to choose them over Amazon? Just sounds like another "me too" decision made by Google execs. How did a company known for pioneering web search and web advertising as we know it to just trying to copy everybody else's ideas?
  • Reply 7 of 91
    shompashompa Posts: 343member
    I am so tired of Google.



    Please Apple:

    1) Build the best search engine in the world.

    2) License out iOS for free. People are intelligent enough to understand that if you want the full Apple experience they will buy Apple iOS devices.



    Have Google done one single thing on their own?

    Every single service they provide existed before Google started with them.
  • Reply 8 of 91
    tjwtjw Posts: 216member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ConradJoe View Post


    And the Mapping Business!







    Look at the quote on your signature.



    Basically if you are agreeing google 'steal ideas' which it sounds like you are, then you are also calling them a great artist. By Steve Jobs's own admission...



    Google copy trends in the industry, just like every company that has ever existed. You are just a whole lot more sensitive because that industry is one heavily influenced by Apple.
  • Reply 9 of 91
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Oh gosh what a surprise.
  • Reply 10 of 91
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    "We didn't enter the search business, they entered the phone business. And the TV business. And the MUSIC business. AND the… "



    I am really hoping we see a mind blowing, game changing new mapping service from Apple and I hope it is not web based primarily, rather app based so as to further screw with Google.



    While Apple are at it how about a free video upload service without ads
  • Reply 11 of 91
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    While Apple are at it how about a free video upload service without ads



    AdBlock + Ghostery means you never see ads on YouTube. Not even in-video ads nor the ones preceding videos.



    I've never seen the latter. Ever. I only heard that they exist from other people complaining about them. Never have I seen a single ad on YouTube.
  • Reply 12 of 91
    Google, the new Microsoft!
  • Reply 13 of 91
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    AdBlock + Ghostery means you never see ads on YouTube. Not even in-video ads nor the ones preceding videos.



    I've never seen the latter. Ever. I only heard that they exist from other people complaining about them. Never have I seen a single ad on YouTube.



    Thanks I'll check that out, but my point was Apple entering Google's space even more ...I wasn't being totally serious. In truth I make money from YouTube by posting commercial projects I've done. I allow myself a certain amount of hypocrisy each month
  • Reply 14 of 91
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mytdave View Post


    Google, the new Microsoft!



    Yep,. Thankfully this time around Apple isn't a tiny company battling a piss ant company with IBM funding the battle. Only those that were there at the time will have a clue what I'm referring to ...
  • Reply 15 of 91
    Man, Google is getting really silly with so much copying.
  • Reply 16 of 91
    diddydiddy Posts: 282member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by shompa View Post


    I am so tired of Google.



    Please Apple:

    1) Build the best search engine in the world.

    2) License out iOS for free. People are intelligent enough to understand that if you want the full Apple experience they will buy Apple iOS devices.



    Number two is just plain wrong as the cloning era proved true, you should never try to directly partner with a competitor in the fashion that you propose unless you are forced to. It never works out well. Look at Apple's problems with Samsung for example - largely they exist due to the fact that Apple relies on their IP to some degree. The last thing you want to do is create more reliance.



    You simply do not license out and sell your own property like that - you end up shooting yourself in the foot when you assume that consumers will know the difference.
  • Reply 17 of 91
    I understand that there are some people who actively like using Google products (outside of their search site), ie they go out of their way to use Google product because of their perception of the quality. Maybe these are the people who would want to use this service over iTunes or Amazon.
  • Reply 18 of 91
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    The problem is that Google's approach to anyone's intellectual property but their own is "we want to copy it without permission and without paying royalties". Look at what they tried to do with books before they were stopped.



    In this case they're really getting licenses from the music companies. At least give them cred for doing it the "proper" way.
  • Reply 19 of 91
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    In this case they're really getting licenses from the music companies. At least give them cred for doing it the "proper" way.



    Really? You've seen the license agreements?



    This report is solely a rumor.
  • Reply 20 of 91
    drdoppiodrdoppio Posts: 1,132member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by shompa View Post


    I am so tired of Google.



    Please Apple:

    1) Build the best search engine in the world.

    2) License out iOS for free.

    ...



    Please Apple:

    Be more like Google.



    FTFY.
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