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Google Tunes delayed by locker insecurities
By CMU Editorial | Published on Friday 26 November 2010
Google’s much mooted digital music service, which the web giant seemingly wanted online before Christmas, now seems unlikely to launch this year, according to reports.
As previously reported, it is widely assumed Google’s big entry into the music space will be a combined a-la-carte download store and music locker service, meaning that when consumers buy tracks they can not only download them to their home PC and portable music device but also stream them from any net-connected device. It is likely Google would want to let customers upload their existing MP3 collections to their locker also, otherwise it doesn’t make for a very compelling service.
Although digital lockers are nothing new, the record industry has long been nervous about the concept, fearing that they provide an even easier way for file-sharers to enjoy and share their ill-gotten music collections. Lockers also take away one of the big USPs of Spotify-style services, in that they make MP3 collections more readily accessible. Some, most notably Michael Robertson of MP3tunes, argue there is nothing labels can do under existing copyright laws to stop digital firms from offering consumers remote or ‘cloud-based’ hosting for their digital music collections.
But even if there was legal certainty on that issue, which there isn’t yet, with Google looking to licence the a la carte bit of their offer for the first time, they don’t really want to be facing off any of the majors in court. Which presumably means they are having to sit through endless tedious meetings with label chiefs and their lawyers using words like “inevitable” and “opportunity” and “provides new boost for digital market”.
One source at the web firm was quoted by the New York Post yesterday as saying: “What’s been holding things up is that the labels will do downloads, but they need to know more about the locker service, and Google really wants to keep the two together”.
Insiders say there is still an outside chance a deal could be done in time for a launch pre-Christmas, but an arrival first quarter 2011 now seems much more likely.
