Google Music to Launch Tuesday -- Without Having Licenses

Google Music to Launch Tuesday -- Without having Licenses

Sources say Sony Music and Universal proved to be bottlenecks for the cloud-based service, which allows users to upload music to a personal online storage locker, from exactly where they can stream and download files to Web connected devices.

Proving unable to come to an agreement with all the big labels for the music service it originally wanted, Google is going to pull an Amazon and unveil a digital music locker service without having any licensing offers at all in the course of a keynote tomorrow (Might ten) at its I/O conference in San Francisco, Google execs tell Billboard

Called Music Beta by Google, the service will allow users to upload their music library to a individual on the web storage locker, from where they could stream and download files from Web connected devices.

This can be virtually identical to Amazon's Cloud Drive, with a few differences. Most notably, the service is obtainable on a limited, invite-only basis restricted to U.S. users. These wanting to make use of the service may have to request an invite at google.music.com, with priority provided to these using the Motorola Xoom tablet and to attendees from the I/O conference. Additionally, Google is limiting the number of songs that will be uploaded to the music locker to 20,000. The service is free of charge even though in beta, plus the provider would not comment on what long term pricing options it may possibly have planned.

Clearly, this really is not the music service Google needed to supply. And Google director of content partnerships Zahavah Levine -- who led the company's negotiations with the significant labels -- produced it clear who she feels is usually to blame.

"We've been in negotiations together with the industry for a diverse set of features, with mixed results," she told Billboard the night before the announcement was made. "[But] a couple of key labels were much less focused on innovation and additional on demanding unreasonable and unsustainable business terms."

Sources tell Billboard that Sony Music Group and Universal Music Group proved the bottlenecks in this case. Google needed to present a scan-and-match style locker service -- exactly where as an alternative of uploading diverse copies of the very same track to retailer in a locker for every single users, the service would scan users' libraries and match the songs they very own to a centralized server, paying rightsholders for each stream. Without having the rights to do so, the message from Google is clear -- either get on board or we'll move on with no you.

Driving the launch will be the completion of Google's new music player app, which will also be unveiled tomorrow. The app is for Android devices that any individual can download. It might be made use of to play any music stored on Android devices, but can't access music from the cloud unless users are part from the beta.

Insiders reveal that the app was only fully backed about six weeks ago, and till that app was completed Google had no intention of launching any sort of music service -- unlicensed or otherwise. Getting this music player out was naturally a priority for Google, so it could commence establishing Android merchandise as music devices in their own proper.

While it might not be what Google originally intended, the beta music service shows flashes of what Google ultimately has in thoughts. For instance, the music app has an Immediate Mix characteristic that creates a playlist according to a single song. The service analyzes the song's characteristics (not just metadata) and pulls other equivalent songs from the users' music library. Another cool function is the fact that the playlists made might be synched across devices. So playlists designed on a user's mobile mobile phone will right away show up on a tablet device or Google account online. There is no need to transfer files between devices.

Other options of Music Beta by Google incorporate:

• -- Any Web-connected device using a browser or supporting Flash can stream music from the locker. Calls for Android-powered devices with the app installed to download and play cached streams.
• -- Users who sign up for the locker service will get cost-free music added, related to how some mp3 players ship with sample tracks. Google negotiated rights to this no cost music with various rightsholders.
• -- All music readily available to each device is accessible inside a single view, meaning users won't see 1 list for music stored native on the device and a different list of music stored within the locker.
• -- Audio excellent for streaming files may be as high as 320kbps if the device and network supports it.
• -- Optimized for Android three.0 (Honeycomb) but any Android device version 2.2 or above can assistance it.

Levine stressed that several additional functions may be added to the service with time, and that Google will continue to seek licenses together with the major labels.

"A large segment of the music marketplace worked cooperatively and was incredibly valuable sorting out the issues of on-line licensing," she said, giving unique credit for the independent label and publishing communities. "We undoubtedly remain open to partnerships with the music industry for new features and functionality. This really is the beginning of what we hope are going to be a lengthy relationship with music and users and helping users engage with music and artist and fans.