So Google is creating a very interesting solution for playing your music. It is only available in the USA at moment, but I am sure that will soon change.
What is Google Beta? It is a way to get to your personal music collection at home or on the go. You can listen from the web or any enabled device with the Music app available from Android Market. My question - what about iPhone and Blackberry, etc users?
Cool features. The songs you've recently played will automatically be available offline. You can also select the specific albums, artists and playlists you want to have available when you're not connected.
Key point - even though people can upload their music collections to the service in order to enjoy them online through a variety of Web-connected devices, they can't download the music. Nope, you can only stream it. It's possible this is because Google wants to avoid lawsuits from the music industry, which has a history of going after anyone it suspects of breaching copyright.
Google reserves the right to boot illegally downloaded songs from the collections subscribers upload to the service. However, it's not clear how Google will spot pirated tracks.
Once you have uploaded your music, Google Music will let you listen from the Web or any enabled device with the Music app from the Android Market.
Subscribers can upload music files from any folder or playlist or add their iTunes libraries to Google Music. New music downloaded to subscribers' computers is added automatically to their Google Music libraries. Once the music is online, it will always be available, and playlists are automatically kept in sync.
However, subscribers won't be able to shop for music through Google Music. Google has not yet made the agreements with major music labels to get into the business of selling songs.
Subscribers can stock tracks at any bitrate, and the service is reportedly free as long as it's in beta. File formats supported are MP3, AAC, WMA and FLAC.
This looks all quite similar to Spotify, which has been a huge success in Europe. It will be interesting to see how this plays out for Google.
So, if you are an Android user, what are you waiting for?
http://music.google.com/about/
Us iPhone users? Hmm, well that remains to be seen, doesn't it. There are workarounds, but a native iPhone app would sure be nice! Will it happen?
By Robert Renman - www.dolphinstreet.com
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