Following Amazon’s Cloud Drive earlier this year, Google is preparing to launch its own music service.
Google’s music service will start as a beta version, version from which they’ll make future improvements before releasing to the public. For the moment the beta version is only available from invitation.
Google should officially announce the Google beta music service today during its 2011 I/O conference.
The service will let users upload music that they own and stream it on the internet to their desktop, Android devices (ie phones and tablets).
[Video update from Google]
One major point Google wasn’t able to acquire, is the support of major record labels. No major labels have signed with Google regarding Google’s music service.
“Unfortunately, a couple of the major labels were less focused on the innovative vision that we put forward, and more interested in in an unreasonable and unsustainable set of business terms”
says Jamie Rosenberg, director for digital content for Android.
Without the support of major record labels, Google won’t be able to sell music unlike Amazon and Apple. Apple has not launched its service yet, but has been able to sign with at least two major record label companies.
Nonetheless Google will still launch its music service today as a beta version offering users to store up to 20,000 songs without charge.
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