“Google Inc on Wednesday launched a music service [Google Play Music All Access] that allows users to listen to unlimited songs for $9.99 a month, challenging smaller companies like Pandora and Spotify in the market for streaming music,” Reuters reports. “With its new service, announced at its annual developers’ conference in San Francisco, Google has adopted the streaming music business model ahead of rival Apple Inc, which pioneered online music purchases with iTunes.”
“Google’s service lets users customize song selections and stream individual playlists, or listen to a curated, radio-like stream,” Reuters reports. “It will launch for U.S. users first, then roll it out in several other countries.”
Reuters reports, “Executives also said on Wednesday that some 900 million smartphones and tablets running Google Android software have been activated since the platform’s inception in 2010.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: “Google has adopted the streaming music business model ahead of rival Apple Inc.”
So did Napster.
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Fortunately I own all the music I care about and wouldn’t care about spending ten bucks a month to listen to the odd new thang. I can buy a CD a month for this and… OWN IT!
I’ll probably never purchase another CD in my lifetime. The 300+ that I own have been converted to a lossless format.
Whenever I get a hankering for something different, I tune into a genre specific free legal steaming service, via Apple TV, iTunes radio or Pandora like services.
People are getting fed up with reoccurring monthly bills for intangible services. You are really going to have to get the price point right to get people to sign up for another monthly bill. $5 seems to be a better price point for audio, when Netflix (video) is available for $8.
No thanks. The less Google pollution on my iPhone the better. I’ll wait for Apple’s iRadio service to launch.
Gotta agree with you, BLN. Avoid Google pollution as much as possible. If I was seeking a music subscription service, then I would wait for Apple’s product.
With the phone companies capping data, that $9.99 will work out a little more, when you go over.
Google Play Music All Access
If at first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth… you don’t succeed, try, try, try, try, try, try, try ∞
What exactly is Google going to do that didn’t FAIL a dozen times before with this goofy subscription scheme? 😯
Activation yes. How many of those are still in service? Probably not 900 million.
Music streaming is good for many places but I really really hate the notion of having to pay each month to “keep” the access to my music. It is probably good for the job and the car but I still want to buy my music.