Google Music Launches Today!

[Wolf]

Here a click able link to Google Music

Google Music Launches Today! - SiriusBuzz

Google Music has been anticipated for quite some time, and will certainly be a force to consider as the audio entertainment landscape continues to morph. It is being reported that Google Music will launch a cloud based service and do so without licenses. Amazon launched cloud drive about a month ago without licenses, and argued that they were not required. With Google joining that strategy it will be interesting to see the response of the record labels.

Google is naming their service “Music Beta by Google” and the service allows users to upload their own music library to a personal online storage locker. Users can access that locker from virtually anywhere so long as they have a device that can obtain an Internet connection.

Starting out, Google will allow only invited people to use the service, a strategy Google has used for many services, including the launch of GMail. If you want Google Music you need to request an invite at google.music.com. Special priority is being given to those with a Motorola Xoom Tablet and attendees of the I/O conference. Music Beta By Google is free, and as of right now limited to 20,000 song per account.

Google wanted to launch with much more, but was unable to come to terms with the record labels.

“We’ve been in negotiations with the industry for a different set of features, with mixed results But a couple of major labels were less focused on innovation and more on demanding unreasonable and unsustainable business terms.”

Billboard is reporting that the culprits were Sony Music Group and Universal Music Group. It has been reported that “Google wanted to offer a scan-and-match style locker service — where instead of uploading different copies of the same track to store in a locker for each users, the service would scan users’ libraries and match the songs they own to a centralized server, paying rightsholders for each stream.”

Along with their cloud based locker, Google will launch a new music player app. The app is for Android devices that anyone can download, and can be used to play any music stored on Android devices. If the user is part of the Music Beta By Google, they can also access the cloud.

Certainly without a clear path from the record labels, Google’s launch is not what the company wanted, but they are now moving forward. The music app has some pretty cool features such as For instance the Instant Mix feature. Instant Mix creates a playlist out of one song. This can create some compelling results that allow for quick playlist creation. One feature that certainly appeals to me (an Android user) is that playlists created on one device sync across devices, thus a playlist created on my smart-phone will also be on my tablet as well as my Google account on-line. Cumbersome transfers are not required!

Features of Music Beta by Google:

Any Web-connected device with a browser or supporting Flash can stream music from the locker. Requires Android-powered devices with the app installed to download and play cached streams.
Users who sign up for the locker service will get free music added, similar to how some mp3 players ship with sample tracks. Google negotiated rights to this free music with various rightsholders.
All music available to each device is available in a single view, meaning users won’t see one list for music stored native on the device and another list of music stored in the locker.
Audio quality for streaming files can be as high as 320kbps if the device and network supports it.
Optimized for Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) but any Android device version 2.2 or above can support it.

Google has plans for more, but the record industry is only unified to a certain extent. Google is one company that has the potential to recreate how consumers access and use music. At this point they will exist in conjunction with, and not competing with, more traditional services like terrestrial, satellite, and Internet radio.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

When will they release the cloud app for the iPhone? LOL

Cool idea.

If I store my music on there, will I be included in the lawsuit by the record labels?

 

[memebag]

Technically, they started accepting requests for invitations today. It's still a closed beta.

 

[Wolf]

If I store my music on there, will I be included in the lawsuit by the record labels?

Yea, that why I'm just going to store my music on iTunes library and have everything on my iPod.

 

[Casual Fan]

Interesting.

Still, there's nothing like that vinyl copy of Led Zeppelin IV I bought in 1988.

 

[mrpacs]

NYT slams the new service. http://nyti.ms/kFLejh

 

[memebag]

I got my invite today. So far it sucks. You have to use their "Music Manager" app, and that wants to install on the C drive, which isn't where I install apps. Stupid Google.

 

[Aaron]

I got my invite today. So far it sucks. You have to use their "Music Manager" app, and that wants to install on the C drive, which isn't where I install apps. Stupid Google.

I put in a request the first day, but no response yet...
I might not want access to this thing after all. :right:

 

[DAB]

While I have been using the Amazon Cloud Player because of music I've purchased there. I don't see myself even remotely interested in this. Like many I requested an invitation just to check it out. However, from what I am reading this thing is very crappy.

I am hoping since I am entrenched in the Apple ecosystem that when Apple rolls out there with the proper music label licensing it will be a much better service. Which I have little doubt about it. Google like usual half ass does another thing. They are getting a reputation for being half assed now with most everything they do. Not surprising! Lets just call it beta and when it works like shit, we'll just say "Well its still in beta" LOL

 

[memebag]

They [Google] are getting a reputation for being half assed now with most everything they do.

Really? I thought they were getting a reputation for succeeding where everyone else failed, and making a ton of cash in the process.

 

[DAB]

Really? I thought they were getting a reputation for succeeding where everyone else failed, and making a ton of cash in the process.

Where has everyone else failed? No doubt they are making tons of money, but have you looked at their financials? They still derive 75% of their income from advertising via their search engine. I don't see them succeeding where others have failed. I see them in the game, but doing a half ass job on many fronts. Folks like yourself though admittedly don't seem to mind their half baked efforts. Good for you, they love you! LOL

 

[memebag]

Where has everyone else failed? No doubt they are making tons of money, but have you looked at their financials? They still derive 75% of their income from advertising via their search engine. I don't see them succeeding where others have failed. I see them in the game, but doing a half ass job on many fronts. Folks like yourself though admittedly don't seem to mind their half baked efforts. Good for you, they love you! LOL

They survived the dot com bubble with what, at the time, seemed like a flaky business model. They didn't just survive, they grew into a behemoth. They proved that you can make money by giving away services on the internet. They own search. They own online advertising.

You said the "are getting a reputation for being half assed now with most everything they do". Where do you see any evidence of this reputation?

And why make this personal?

 

[DAB]

They survived the dot com bubble with what, at the time, seemed like a flaky business model. They didn't just survive, they grew into a behemoth. They proved that you can make money by giving away services on the internet. They own search. They own online advertising.

You said the "are getting a reputation for being half assed now with most everything they do". Where do you see any evidence of this reputation?

And why make this personal?

My point is very simple, they tend to roll stuff out in some sort of beta mode, never really completed and then finish it on the fly. They have done that with many things and now have a reputation for launching stuff like this music setup half baked.

What is personal about my comment, it is very evident by having watched them roll out various things over the years. This isn't to take away from what they have done and eventually did well. Like you said they own search and advertising. Even when that started though it was in beta form for years.

There are many articles and blogs on the fact that most everything Google rolls out they do it in beta and generally not very complete. They rush to get shit out and it often sucks initially. You are the one that said the music offer sucked. Why so personal?

 

[Bandwagon03]

I love Google, I use Google Maps, Gmail, igoogle, and Picasa.

Most of the things they do, I feel like are well done. I never felt the need to try Google Wave, but, I know it was widely regarded as a failure.

They probably did rush this service because everyone knows that Apple is getting ready to launch their service.

 

[memebag]

My point is very simple, they tend to roll stuff out in some sort of beta mode, never really completed and then finish it on the fly. They have done that with many things and now have a reputation for launching stuff like this music setup half baked.

Beta programs are not unique to Google. They're widespread in the software industry. Video games, operating systems, languages, utilities, all of them have closed and open beta programs as part of their testing. Google is better than a lot of companies because it clearly labels it's beta software as beta. There was a time when Microsoft, for instance, GA'd a lot of beta quality software.

Maybe more people are aware of Google's betas, and maybe that includes a lot of people who aren't used to how software development works. But to say something is "half baked" because it's in beta is obvious. That's the purpose of a beta.

What is personal about my comment...

This:

"Folks like yourself though admittedly don't seem to mind their half baked efforts. Good for you, they love you! LOL"

There are many articles and blogs on the fact that most everything Google rolls out they do it in beta and generally not very complete. They rush to get shit out and it often sucks initially. You are the one that said the music offer sucked.

I agree, Google runs a lot of open betas. I don't see evidence of Google getting a reputation for being "half assed" as a result of that. I see them getting a reputation for taking risks and being open to user feedback.

Why so personal?

I haven't said anything about you, or folks like you. We're discussing a giant corporation. Neither you nor I have any skin in their game.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I think releasing Betas to a wide audience is great. The more input you have at the early stage, the better the end product will be. Look at Slacker, they had a limited release beta and have some basic UI flaws which would have been detected with a wider beta.

 

[DAB]

Maybe more people are aware of Google's betas, and maybe that includes a lot of people who aren't used to how software development works. But to say something is "half baked" because it's in beta is obvious. That's the purpose of a beta.

I agree, Google runs a lot of open betas. I don't see evidence of Google getting a reputation for being "half assed" as a result of that.

Indeed you'd have to be blind not to see that Google does more beta's than anyone, do they release anything without it being in beta. Google mail which is great by the way was in beta for 3 or 4 years. LOL MS and others do indeed do beta for a very limited time. There doesn't seem to be a time placed on betas by Google, they could go on for years. That is the crux of many bloggers and articles that I've read and I tend to agree.

If one really looks at many of their initial releases, there have been pretty bad one and of course overtime on the fly got to where they are today. So, YES they do have a reputation for doing this. Does it matter in the grand scheme of things NOPE!

I think you are getting a bit sensitive in your old age there MEM! The point folks like you is simple; folks that don't mind testing Google beta for years and so that you would also include me.

For the most part I use and like using many of Google's products, but in my experience they have released many of their products before they were ready for prime-time and in my book that is half baked. Some will agree and some won't. It really isn't a debate that is my opinion; end of the story!

I think releasing Betas to a wide audience is great. The more input you have at the early stage, the better the end product will be. Look at Slacker, they had a limited release beta and have some basic UI flaws which would have been detected with a wider beta.

I think the last thing we want is Slacker releasing betas. Really! LOL

I am not against betas, heck I used most of Google's for years. But beta programs are meant to be limited as they are with most software companies, not years as they are with Google in some cases.