“Google Inc. is expected to roll out a music download service tied to its search engine later this year, followed by a ‘cloud’-based subscription service in 2011, according to people familiar with the Internet giant’s discussions with the music industry,” Scott Morrison reports for MarketWatch.
MacDailyNews Take: Hey, Eric, you derivative creep: Yesterday, Steve Jobs wore a pink blouse with semi-matching pink cowgirl hat to work.
Morrison continues, “Google hasn’t made any specific proposals yet, but the nature of discussions with music companies suggest the Internet giant is likely to roll out its music services in two phases, said people who have been briefed on the talks. The launch of Google’s download music store is still months away, they said.”
“The launch of a Google music store would heighten tensions with Apple Inc., whose iTunes store is the leading U.S. digital music seller,” Morrison reports. “Google’s push into music retailing would be welcomed by music labels that are increasingly concerned about Apple’s dominant position among U.S. music retailers.”
“The first phase of Google’s music service is expected to be a Web store where users can buy and download tracks, music industry insiders said… But they cautioned that Google hasn’t yet made any specific proposals to the music labels, so the search giant’s plans aren’t entirely clear at this point,” Morrison reports. “These people also said the download store would be an ‘interim’ step toward what is expected to be a more ambitious cloud-based subscription service compatible with mobile phones built with Google’s Android software. A cloud-based service would enable subscribers to stream music directly from the Internet to their mobile phones, so that users wouldn’t need to store music files on their devices.”
Morrison reports, “Apple in the past several months bought and then shut down online music service Lala.com, prompting widespread speculation it might also soon launch a new cloud-based version of its iTunes music store.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Google. The new Microsoft. Copy Apple poorly, copy Apple poorly, copy Apple poorly, then copy Apple poorly some more.
Yaaawwwnnn
Another killer …. fer shure
Is it possible to actually catch Apple in this market?
Loooool heard that before
Another killer ,just more of the same bs
I heard that Schmidt likes his strategy. He likes it a lot.
Google is acting desperate, as though they were miles behind.
Oh right. They are.
Google is all microsoft history all over again. Apple trusted in Eric and opened the door to google start stealing apple’s secrets. But they will fall just like Microsoft did.
What a bunch of copy cat morons …….. So happy I got rid of google phone what a piece of junk. New IPhone can’t wait ordered 3 ….for the family.
I love that fact that Google is getting into everything.
They will have no focus on greatness just like microsoft doesn’t.
Nowhere in the WSJ article does the author or google claim that it will be an “iTunes Killer.” Only MDN, in their continued shrill and unbalanced reporting, uses that term.
Unless all of you think monopolies are a good thing, competition should be welcomed. I personally do not think iTunes is perfect. And competition forces improvement. Furthermore, despite the unsupported commentary provided by MDN, does anyone know that the google effort will not be competitive? I don’t.
Google is an extremely successful company. They seem to be nimble. And they’re much more innovative than Microsoft, which really has a culture that lacks innovation. I think a good old war between google and Apple will be fun to watch and good for us.
Get real MDN. Your crazy comments are really wearing thin.
I expect this to be like the last dozen Google products: hastily cobbled together, given away for free to Google employees, especially YouTubers, with explicit instructions to hype the crap out of it for a week. Then we’ll see endless banner ads on every website imaginable for a month, then
it willquietly fade away while they hype their next big thing.
This is good news for one reason. If Google is talking about this that means that Apple is about to release subscription service through iTunes. They need to preempt the release with a carrot of their own to keep the fandroids happy.
The dying music industry is probably begging Google to save them from the horrible, unfair, DRM free, monopolistic Apple. Too bad whatever Google rolls out will still be in beta long after these music industry dinosaurs have died off.
…there was not a single piece of substance in that entire article….it was all maybe, might, reportedly will, etc
I had to point this out: While you *can* have music stored on a *cough* card to use with your Android phone, you otherwise don’t have enough room for music and apps and any other content you might want to have. Google MUST offer streaming or they really can’t even pretend to compete.
Eric Schmidt in, “The Pink Rider”. Rated NC-17. Coming to a theatre near you.
Love that photograph.
“”Google’s push into music retailing would be welcomed by music labels that are increasingly concerned about Apple’s dominant position among U.S. music retailers.”
“Increasingly concerned”? I think they are STILL concerned to about the same level they were 5 yrs ago. Not to mention the fact that they are fighting the wrong battle.
@LeftCoastDude
Is that satire? Last time I checked, this was not supposed to be a fair and balanced “news” site. It is an Apple-centric site that features news stories with Apple-centric opinions.
I disagree with MDN’s “Google is the new MS” line, as well. However, if you were expecting anything different from MDN, you’re making a crazy comment, too.
Would you not consider a company that has a monopoly on web search, sending you to their own store an abuse of monopoly. Like there store won’t always be ranked first.
The real test is whether Google can ever come up with something that people actually are willing to pay for. It is real easy to get “marketshare” when you give things away for free.
Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t appreciate the “you get what you pay for” quality difference.
Apple better “launch a new cloud-based version of its iTunes music store” soon to justify the hit-man stunt it pulled on Lala. I spend every day justifying my continued faith in Apple to my casual-Apple-user wife and friends who are starting to see Apple as just another big monopolist bully. I was also a huge Lala fan much more than I have ever been an iTunes fan. It was a fantastic way to explore lots of new music, cheaply, and yet I still spent more on Lala while it existed than I ever have on iTunes. If Apple can’t get it together to offer a similar service, and soon — or worse, if it starts to look like they just killed Lala to protect an inferior, more profitable sales model — I may find it harder and harder to stand up to my friends’ criticisms of Apple as the “new Microsoft.”
Their slogan should be changed to:
“Don’t be Microsoft”
HUYA™ = Head Up Your Ass!
LOL!!!!!!!!
To compete with the iTunes Store, they have to make it as easy to use as iTunes Store. That’s a tall order. First and foremost, if Google plans to make the interface this store web-based, they should just quit now. People don’t want to deal with getting purchased music from the web into their devices. One of the biggest reasons that the iTunes Store is so successful is that it interfaces directly with the world’s most popular media organizing software, which then interfaces directly with the world’s most popular media players.
——RM
@Fredo: I doubt Apple purchased Lala because they considered it a threat. Most of the world hadn’t even heard of Lala until Apple purchased it. All the articles about the purchase had to explain what Lala was.
——RM
iTunes killer, my how original, just another google mind fart.
I fear this could be very bad for Apple: those music labels that gave Amazon better pricing and exclusive content to undermine ITMS will do it again for Google just to force Apple to submit to their demands and/or drive them out of the picture.
Fredo,
Why would Apple bother to continue to operate a dead-end version of Lala while using it (or parts of it) to build new iTunes Store services?
It’d be too confusing and not worth the effort. Better to just shut it down and get the future ready.
@ LeftCoastDude,
“Unless all of you think monopolies are a good thing, competition should be welcomed.”
Another Apple Monopoly Myth.
While iTunes has about 70% of the global digital music sales, those numbers are dwarfed by the amount illegal digital downloads. What’s more, that 70% is only around 30% of total music sales when CDs are factored into the mix and 10% when illegal downloads are also factored in.
Even if Apple had a monopoly in music sales, they would still have to abuse that monopoly in the consumer space for us to be pissed off about Apple’s power.
This is rich: “But they cautioned that Google hasn’t yet made any specific proposals to the music labels, so the search giant’s plans aren’t entirely clear at this point.” Pure speculation. So, Google is simply getting better at the FUD game. That’s what the headline should be: “Google Ramps Its FUD Game.”
I always thought Eric looked a little bit like a faggot, in pink he looks a lot like a faggot.
Would`nt doubt if it sent data to the RIAA
Google, now with 100% more spying!
I was waiting for the venerable MDN retort of “More blood on the iPod click-wheel…”
I hate Google. They are looking for world dominance and I hope they fail miserably.
It’ll probably be in beta for 3 years
Unfortunately, it’s a bit late for the concept. Carriers are slowly moving away from unlimited data plans to limited, or metered mobile plans. Streaming music from a cloud will likely quickly eat good parts (of not all) of the monthly allotment. Not to mention cripple the mobile networks in the US.
As this is now massive speculation, it isn’t worth debating this much, but even if any part of it ends up being true, it will surely be a moderate-to-big flop.
didn’t google try and do something similar a few years ago? I tried doing a search for it, but of course all results coming back are now talking about this new music store…
The labels should be careful what they wish for.
Certainly, if it’s Google, it will be in perpetual beta. And although they are marginally better than MS at copying Apple’s creative work, they are still late to the game. Apple will be several steps ahead by the time Google releases it.
I wonder what Eric T. Mole was up to at the recent Bilderberg 2010 held in Sitges, Spain. He was in attendance along with Bill Gates and Craig Mundie, Chief Research and Strategy Officer of Microsoft.
One thing is certain, they were up to no good – reportedly ‘green-lighting’ an attack/war with Iran and higher gasoline prices coming in late fall.
I miss lala. The opportunity to listen to a song, or full album, all the way through one (1) time to decide if you want to purchase it was amazing, I discovered (and purchased) lots of new music that way. Now it’s gone. Whatever apple does with lala I can’t imagine they’ll let you preview full songs and albums again. It’s a shame.
Certainly, Google can be just at least as successful as Amazon at selling digital music. Amazon had the good sense to (legally) tie into iTunes in a way that Apple openly makes available to third parties. You download and install a small program from Amazon (Amazon MP3 Downloader). You buy an MP3 at Amazon.com and this program downloads the song and puts it into your iTunes library automatically, ready to play or sync to your i-devices. You don’t need to add the song file to iTunes manually.
However, Amazon does only a small fraction of volume of the iTunes Store. I don’t think Google can do any better, and is more likely to take share away from Amazon.
Also, Apple primarily makes its profits from selling hardware. The iTunes Store is basically a value-added service for its hardware customers. Where others need to profit from selling music, Apple can just break even if necessary. Apple is probably very happy that Amazon sells MP3s in a way that ties in nicely with using iTunes, even if it means some lost music sales at the iTunes Store. Those Amazon customers are still mostly using Apple devices to play those songs, and Amazon happens to sell millions of iPods and other Apple hardware every year for Apple.
Let’s see how Google handles it (assuming this report is true); join the existing ecosystem or compete against it.
Why would music and movie industry bosses allow Google to sell or rent (subs service) their content when Android and Chrome are wide open to digital theft? Only tight DRM would protect the content on a sieve-like OS, a toddler could steal from.
This is just LOL.
Google continues to spend lots of
money on all sort of stupid things.
I’m not a big fan of renting music, subscription and streaming but I think Apple probably needs to launch such a service in the coming years to stay competetive.
But streaming and renting can’t be very good and profitable for either the artist or the music company. Must be very small profits on let’s say something like a Zune subscription for both the music companies and Microsoft.
I want to buy my music. I hate to be forced to pay in order to keep my music. It would feel like extorsion to me.