Google Launches Google Music: Purchase & Discover Music
by Antonio Wells
Nov 16, 2011 5:39 PM –
Install
When Google Music was in Beta it had an asterisk on it being free to stream your own music library for a limited time, now the service will be free to upload up to 20,000 songs. The greatest feature enhancements offer the ability to discover and purchase music directly from the Android Market (rolling out to Android 2.2+ phones in the U.S. only) or the Android Market Music Webstore. Launching with more than 8 million high quality MP3 songs (encoded at 320kbps), the service will add more in due time. There you will find a new and socially curated music purchasing experience; discovering new music from your friends on Google+ is baked in, additionally Google will offer daily free tracks to supplement the hundreds they’ll simply offer for free.
What’s New in Google Music!
Content, Discovery & Social
Curation is highlighted as a key factor in Google Music, offering customers promos and free exclusive content like the free song of the day, weekly spotlight artists, staff picks and editorial content for new music discovery and recommendations (including video interviews). Plus you know Google has to put their machines to work, therefore, you can receive personal music recommendations based on your entire music library style and taste. However, a key differentiation will come with using your friends to help recommend music. As mentioned, if you purchase a song or an album from Google Music, you can instantly share one-time, and in full length (no previews), the music you purchased on Google+.
Free Exclusive Content
Google revealed 6 initial artists to release exclusive content housed no where else and for free to Google Music customers. They includes Rolling Stones, ColdPlay, Sharika,
Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, and rapper Busta Rhymes releasing his latest single & album exclusively on Google Music.
Artist Hub
Attempting something new in the digital music distribution vertical, Google is attempting to give indie artist somewhat level playing field by allowing them to control and monetize their own music content they own without a record label with the Artist Hub feature. Similar to how Android developers can monetize their Android Apps, musicians can sell their music, customize their artist page, upload their original content, set their own prices, and sell their own music. After paying a one-time $25 registration fee (70/30 revenue share and no annual upload fees) artists can setup bios, choose genres, plus control previews (from 90 seconds to unlimited full previews) of their songs. It even is integrated with YouTube to sell tracks directly from artists’ YouTube Channels.
Carrier Billing: T-Mobile
T-Mobile will offer free music to their customers using Google Music, but more importantly, offer their customers the ability to pay for music on their monthly phone bill.
How Does Google Music Work?
In the meantime logging into an Android Market account gives you the access to start uploading your personal music library using the Music Manager to your cloud “locker”. Google Music is out of Beta and live for folks in the U.S., whereas, apps will be updating in next few days. The Music Android app will allow you to stream or download stored songs and playlists on Android or iOS devices.
Go and try it and tell us what you think!