“Internet giant Google is considering an extensive alliance with Napster, which could include an outright acquisition, as it plots its move into the digital music world, The Post has learned. According to sources within the music industry, Google has been pushing to align with Napster — rather than build its own online music store — a sign that Google sees subscription services, rather than the individual download model that Apple’s iTunes is built on, as the future of digital music,” Tim Arango and Sam Gustin report for The New York Post. “It has long been rumored that Google is considering expanding into digital music, but a spokesperson for Google said yesterday, ‘We have nothing to announce at this time.'”
“The company denied that it plans to build its own service, but declined to comment on whether it plans to align with an existing service. ‘We can’t provide any details related to rumor or speculation,’ the Google spokesperson said. A Napster spokeswoman declined comment, citing a quiet period ahead of its earnings announcement, which will come next week,” Arango and Gustin report.
Full article here.
Napster is not the same outfit as the one with which they made their name; the Napster brand is well-known, but not highly-regarded. Let it die. If Google does pluck Napster from the bowl, it’ll only show just how desperate they are to try to get into the game owned by Apple, staining the Google brand in the process. The game is over. If subscriptions do take off someday — and nothing compelling has been seen yet in that area — Apple could just flick the switch on the iTunes subscription plan(s) and Google would have nothing but a Napster brand name that holds little real value. Google would be better off working with Apple and Steve Jobs and build upon things they already do together, such as returning iTunes Music Store links in Google Music Search.
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Related articles:
Analyst: Google may be close to developing Apple iTunes competitor – January 27, 2006
Napster does the math: layoffs commence with 10-percent of workforce lopped off – January 25, 2006
EMI Music Chairman: Music subscription services like Napster and Rhapsody haven’t beeen huge – January 23, 2006
Napster CEO Gorog: ‘we are extremely excited about the future’ – January 18, 2006
Report: Napster executives do the math, consider selling or shutting down, layoffs imminent – January 16, 2006
Google partners with Apple iTunes Music Store (and others) for new Google Music search – December 15, 2005
Napster CEO Gorog: Apple iPod is a ‘villain’ – December 12, 2005
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Thomson gives up on MP3 player, CE markets – December 12, 2005
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: BenQ withdraws from MP3 player markets – November 28, 2005
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Olympus halts production of portable digital music players – November 09, 2005
Do the math: Napster posts $13.6 million second-quarter loss – November 02, 2005
More blood on Apple iPod’s Click Wheel: Rio is dead – August 26, 2005
Napster President: Apple CEO Steve Jobs has ‘tricked people into buying a hardware trap’ – August 22, 2005
Apple’s roadkill whine in unison: ‘incompatibility is slowing growth of digital music’ – August 12, 2005
Napster: the only thing missing is the sock puppet – August 04, 2005
Napster, other Windows Media-based music services ‘chasing a niche opportunity’ – June 29, 2005
SmartMoney: Napster is a snooze, gushing money and renting music is un-American anyway – July 06, 2005
Napster To Go Soon? Reports $24.3 million net loss on $17.4 million net revenue – May 11, 2005
Napster is a joke – April 05, 2005
Napster CEO Gorog: Steve Jobs ‘must be pretty frightened’ of Napster To Go – March 14, 2005
Apple’s iPod has blood on its Click Wheel: Virgin Electronics is dead – March 08, 2005
Napster’s math does not add up – February 28, 2005
Users thwart Napster To Go’s copy protection; do the music labels realize the piracy potential? – February 15, 2005
Napster CEO Gorog: ‘it’s stupid to buy an iPod’ – February 10, 2005
$10,000 to fill an iPod? Napster’s going to end up with egg on their face – February 04, 2005
Why ‘Napster To Go’ will flop – February 03, 2005
Napster CEO: We’re ‘the biggest brand in digital music, much more exciting than Apple’s iTunes’ – February 03, 2005
The de facto standard for legal digital online music files: Apple’s protected MPEG-4 Audio (.m4p) – December 15, 2004
Napster CEO: ‘it would be great’ if Apple iPod supported WMA – March 09, 2004
Napster CEO: Apple iTunes, iPod ‘consumer-unfriendly experiences’ – March 09, 2004
Napster 2.0 posts US$15 million relaunch loss – February 08, 2004
I have never understood why anyone would want a subscription service. I don’t see any advantages to it at all.
They are dropping so fast in the eyes of the tech savvy with these “quicky without thought” moves. If they don’t back off and start moving a little more slowly, they’re going to end up being just another Microsoft clone.
As far as multimedia goes, these two minuses definately won’t make a plus.
Let’s have a Toast for the new, new, new Napster, the stoned feline with headphones. The latest informal motto of Google is “Don’t be evil unless you’re absolutely sure you can get away with it.” This is also the unofficial motto of the executive branch of the U.S. government.
Yes, Google’s dropping could be right but then, if they move “too slowly, with no results” again they’re going to end up being just another Microsoft clone.
Maybe they should try innovation. Then they could could become an Apple clone and be much better for it.
“Maybe they should try innovation.”
Yeah, but evidently there’s a LOT more money in mediocrity. The bandwagon is getting pretty full.
Apple should just release Spotlight for Internet search and kill them!
Google probably wouldn’t go the subsription route. They might maintain the existing customer base and watch it closely. What google would probably want is the Napster look and feel for browsing AUDIO AND VIDEO. They can’t model their store exactly like iTMS but they can use Napster as a fairly tried-and-true design.
IMHO
Jb
We are seeing the beginning of the end for Google. Not because they are taking on Apple, but because they are creating a conflict of interest. Google’s greatest strength is its ability to make colaborative software infrastructure. DRM doesn’t mix too well. Google provides a service, it shouldn’t get tied into outside brands, that only give it incentive to prevent colaboration and competition.
I think you meant to say:
“Don’t be evil unless you’re absolutely sure you can get away with it” is also the unofficial motto of the [Democrats in Congress]. (That is, the DICs.)
Right?
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Kate
not gonna happen, google is smarter than that I am sure
To be fair, the subscription model is a better fit for Google as they slowly transition from a ‘simple’ search engine into a yahoo-type portal. There are a certain number of people who like the subscrition model (myself not included).
What’s interesting is that Google seem to be forgetting the very principle that made it so great – simplicity! They are going the Microsoft way, adding poorly thought out (‘beta’) feature to poorly thought out feature. I think (and I suspect that most marketing people would agree) that you get 1 chance to snarl people. If your site sucks / is unituitive / is confusing / complicated they will leave and not come back. Eg. Google video store.
Thankfully, Apple seems to realize this with the iTunes store and pretty much gets it right straight from the start.
This is definitely not a wise move on Google’s part. As a stock owner, I’d much rather see them invest in something that will actually make the company money. Napster is nothing more than a money pit. If they continue down this road with any more acquisitions like this, I’ll definitely have to consider selling off my stock in Google.
Macdailynews, you are severly confused if you think that the Napster brand has no value.
BAD MOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DO YOUR RESEARCH GOOGLE!
lol you’ve got the search engine for it.
I think you meant to say:
“Don’t be evil unless you’re absolutely sure you can get away with it” is also the unofficial motto of the [Democrats in Congress].
Hey, asshole, that’s MY motto so keep your pinko fingers off it!
GOT IT??
The article read…
“The report (that Google would roll out a music service) , released last week, prompted Apple shares to slump 2.2 percent.”
Where do they come up with this dribble? The entire market was bumpy for a variety of reasons, and Apple is not immune to market forces.
Unless they plan on changing the format, good luck with this one Google.
MW class , as in, iTunes is in a class by itself.
Didn’t Dave Winer make a call last year that Google and iTunes were cooking up something together? Maybe that’s still simmering on the burner?
Kate: I didn’t specify a political party. Maybe I should have said, “this has always been the motto of the executive branch.
But I do appreciate unfounded insults and base assumptions. There’s a place for everyone on the bell curve.
Hey, I want a lifejacket made out of lead, too!
Furthermore, I think that Google’s lateset moves are signs of things to come. Google used to stand for something, now they are willing to bend their standards for any government, and now removing iTunes links, they show they are willing to betray the very thing that made their brand great to begin with, and thats agenda-free searching.
Google is definitely on my boycoot list. I can live without them.
Quick, someone tell Larry and Sergey to run a search on bad investments, subscription music services and Napster! Maybe Gorog has his own RDF?
Oh Golly! Subscriptions SO ROCK!
http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2005/08/i_want_my_itune.html
Good luck with that, Google. No one wants a subscription service.
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http://musobs.blogspot.com