Google takes on Apple with new music store
Los Angeles - Google launched its first full featured music service Wednesday, intensifying its battle with Apple as it sought to become the music provider of choice to the users of over 200 million Android smartphones and tablets.
The online store, accessible through Android Market, offers over 13 million tracks for download from all the major record labels except Warner Music, as well as hundreds of independent labels.
The main difference with Apple's dominant iTunes service is that users of Google Music will be able to share any track or album they buy automatically with their friends on the Google+ social networking site, or with anyone else whose email address they enter.
Google music also includes a free cloud-based playback service that allows users to play their songs whenever they are connected to the internet, without having to store them on their device.
The service will work with any songs the user has on their computer, even if they have not been bought from the Google Music store. Users can store up to 20,000 songs in the service and can also use it on their PCs.
"Google Music is about discovering, purchasing, sharing and enjoyingdigital music through integrated and personalized ways. It's about the cloud, the Web and mobile. It's about better connecting you with the music you own and introducing you to new music," said Google official Jamie Rosenberg at the launch event.//DPA
