Google is
getting into the music business. Online music storage, that is. According to a New York Times article, industry
insiders say a Google online music storage site will launch in the next couple
of weeks, putting the search engine giant in position to compete with Apple.
Earlier this
year, Google launched Google Music Beta, allowing users to store music in one
secure place via the Cloud. Google Music advertised itself as an online storage
locker, according to the Washington Post,
but music executives hint that Google’s new online storage service will rival
Apple’s popular iTunes service, with users able to buy, download, and store
mp3s, all from servers with no cables or CDs required. Speculators say the
service would be directly linked to Google Music Beta, providing a one-stop
shop for users to manage and store music, similar to iTunes.
The race
appears to be connected to the growing popularity of storing things in the
Cloud, where a user’s files and resources are all virtual. Thanks to the
current preponderance of smart phones, users are becoming increasingly more
interested in syncing phones, mp3 players, and computers without using cables. Additionally,
audio recording schools are increasing in popularity. With Apple’s move to the
Cloud, competitors are seeking a way to provide users the ability to store all
data on remote servers, accessing it as needed, from multiple locations,
without having to constantly update each device.
The biggest
concern for these new services is piracy. One music industry executive told the
New York Times, “We want to make sure
the locker doesn’t become a bastion of piracy.” With Google Music allowing
users to store up to 20,000 mp3 files in each locker, executives are watching
closely to see if users will find a way to share mp3 files with others, causing
the same piracy problems services like Napster created in the 90s.
Apple plans
a similar music-storage program, called iTunes Match, which is coming out at
the end of October. iTunes Match will charge $24.99 a year to users who will be
allowed to store music in Apple’s Cloud. iTunes accomplishes this by storing
music known to have been purchased by users in the Cloud, for access via any
device or computer at any time.
Google and
Apple aren’t the only ones. Amazon’s mp3 downloads have been popular with users
for a while, thanks to gimmicks like $.79 popular mp3s and artists offering
limited-time free album downloads. And Facebook partnered with the digital
music service Spotify recently, with plans to allow users to listen to music
with friends.
Google,
Apple, Amazon, and Facebook are all fighting to become one-stop shopping for
users on a variety of services. With the Cloud opening up the possibilities,
Google is only one of many sites that will try to become “hangout spots” for
users. But will users stick with one site for all their needs? Or will they
continue to use one site for music, another for social networking, and yet
another to share pictures and send e-mails?
