Google plans to battle Apple over music in the cloud

“Even as Apple continues to develop an iTunes to rule them all, Google’s battle with Apple continues — and a fresh skirmish is seen this morning with the sneak preview of what at first appeared to be search giant’s own cloud-based iTunes-killer, Google Music,” Jonny Evans reports for Computerworld.

“Purported publication of a Chinese-language webpage for the service, which promised music in both streamed and a la carte forms, came as Google officially applied for a new operating license in China,” Evans reports. “If it fails to win the license then it will be forced to cease operations there in 2012.”

Evans reports, “The appearance of this seeming music site later saw Google PR begin moves to deny this was Google Music, but its appearance still ignites a little rumination round the Apple-holic water cooler… As we think we know, Apple seems set to launch (or at least preview) its own iTunes streaming service in September, so for this Christmas at least, the Google v. Apple war means we live in interesting times.”

Full article here.