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Digital
Google expected to launch MP3 service with two majors missing this week
By CMU Editorial | Published on Monday 14 November 2011
Google is expected to announce the launch of its new music service this week, though it still only has two major labels on board – and that’s really now one label, as its Universal and EMI who have signed up.
As previously reported, both Sony and Warner have been playing hard ball with Team Google in licensing talks for the new music platform, the former reportedly wanting bigger commitments from the web giant to stop the use of its other services by music pirates, the latter apparently wanting a cut of the revenues generated by Google’s music-based digital locker, launched earlier this year without any involvement of the music firms.
We knew Google had threatened to launch its new music service without all the majors on board, and while some assumed that to be a negotiating tactic, it looks like the web firm may come good on that threat on Wednesday, when a big announcement is expected at a press event in LA.
It is thought that Google will start selling downloads direct when its new music platform launches, with the option to store MP3s bought in a Google locker, so to access them from any net-connected device. The new service will also likely include a recommendation option linked in to the Google+ social networking platform, giving users the option to stream once for free any track recommended to them by a Google+ friend, similar to the service offered by mflow. Some sort of mobile element via the Android platform is also anticipated.
You can watch the announcement live at www.youtube.com/android at 2pm PST (10pm GMT) on 16 Nov.
