News has leaked that Google are to enter the online music service in its global battle with Apple. But question at The Lounge is...why now??
The digital music store and social networking apps sound like a cross between iTunes and Spotify, charging users $25 a year to store music on a cloud service or purchase an album for $7.
There is a aircraft hanger full of sheds loaded with cash to be snaffled up in this sector. To music fans this is a great advancement, reducing prices which in turn makes illegal downloading seem a little dirty to those who justified it through cost. So why do we ask Google why they choose to enter now, surely they have seen how things were heading for years?
iTunes will be 10 years old in January so no matter what Google do they will always be lagging behind in this sector. Google sets prices at $7? iTunes will match or beat it on a platform people are already familiar with.
The joker up Google's sleeve could have been Spotify which already has the instant access music market sown up in Europe offering a paid for premium service or a free option with ads. Google might crack the not inconsiderable US market but would you swap free Spotify account for a paid for service? To us the thing for Google to do would of been purchase Spotify with the groundwork having been done, then turn it into a global phenomenon while still in it's relative infancy.
Whatever the outcome the one winner will be the fans who will get access to music for less as the music industry finally begins to properly embrace the digital revoloution that has for so long looked likely to kill it off.
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