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Tag: Google Music

  • Chromebook Owners Get Free Google Music Trial

    Google is offering a 60-day free trial of its Google Music All Access, which normally costs users $9.99 per month, to Chromebook users, the company announced via its Google+ page Monday.

    A new post on the company’s Google+ page states:

    “Listen up! We’ve got a special offer for select Chromebook owners — now you can try All Access, Google Play’s music subscription service, for 60 days free. Enjoy an ad-free library of 20 million songs instantly, or easily create a personalized radio station with no skip limits.”

    It also includes a link for users to click on to activate their free trial.

    There is no explanation given for what is meant by “select Chromebook owners.”

    It is, according to Betanews.com, likely a reference  to the regions where All Access is available, and not the model of Chromebook being used. The details page shows a check mark next to every model, indicating that all models of the Chromebook are included. Google also revealed that the offer will be valid through September 30, 2014.

    Ads-free access to the compilation of 20 million songs is available to Chromebook owners for free for two months. Users can also set customized radio stations via the All Access platform. Only users who have not yet tried the service are eligible for the free trial.

    Users can access the free service by signing in using their Google accounts. and they must have latest Chrome OS version installed on their Chromebooks.

    This special offer comes with Chromebook Goodies. Chromebook Goodies are the free services that comes along with new Chromebooks and Chrome OS. The Chromebook Goodies free services include Google Drive storage, and Gogo internet passes. And now Google Play Music All Access is also added in Chrome Goodies for free but only for two months.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Google Glass Gets Voice Command For Music

    Google Glass Gets Voice Command For Music

    Google announced today that it has added some new functionality to Google Glass that will be appealing to music lovers.

    Over the course of the next few weeks, Google will be rolling out a new voice command that will let users access tracks from Google Play Music. Just say, “Okay Glass, listen to…” and start listening to whatever you want.

    Naturally, this should be a ready-to-go feature once Glass launches more widely to consumers. It does work with Google’s recently launched Spotify competitor All Access.

    We recently got a look at the new version of Glass itself. This includes earbuds. Google had this to say today:

    We’re also introducing stereo earbuds designed specifically for Glass. They’re lightweight and uniquely engineered to deliver crisp, full-range audio while still letting you hear your surroundings. You can also rock out in style by customizing your buds with five interchangeable color caps.

    Current Glass Explorers (the users who have gained access to the device) will be getting notifications via email over the coming weeks with more details on the new stuff.

    Image: Google

  • Google Music All Access Coming to iOS in ‘a Couple Weeks’

    Google Music All Access Coming to iOS in ‘a Couple Weeks’

    iOS users should expect Google Play Music All Access to arrive on their platform in the next couple of weeks.

    The news comes from Sundar Pichai, SVP Android, Chrome, and Apps at Google, who was speaking at the All Things D D11 conference Thursday afternoon.

    “In Google’s DNA, we wanted to be universally accessible. The goal with search was to make it work for everyone in the world, and I think that philosophy extends today. We brought Google Now to iOS. A couple weeks from now we will launch Google Play Music All Access for iOS, the teams are working like crazy to do it,” he said.

    TechCrunch notes that Pichai made a point to say that Google wants its services on as many devices as possible, and that mean that iOS users can then become Google users.

    “In Google’s fundamental DNA, we want [our services] to be universally accessible…for us, users on iOS who want to use Google services, we want them to be Google users.”

    On the flip side, speaking at the same conference earlier this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook suggested that Apple wasn’t against porting its own apps to Android – at least on a base level. It’s just that it doesn’t want to right now.

    “Would Apple port an app from iOS to Android? We have no religious issue,” he said. “If we thought it made sense to do that, we would do that. You can take the same philosophy and apply it to iCloud. Would it make sense for iCloud? It doesn’t today.”

    As you probably know, Google launched their new Spotify competitor Google Play Music All Access earlier this month. For $9.99 a month, you can have full streaming access to millions of songs, all of which play well with your existing Google Play music in order to deliver radio and recommendations. You can check out my full walkthrough of the service here.

  • Dracula Is Already Using Google Music All Access to Make Night-Themed Playlists

    Dracula Is Already Using Google Music All Access to Make Night-Themed Playlists

    Yesterday, at the Google I/O conference, Google unveiled their long-rumored subscription music streaming service and opened it up to the public with a free 30-day trial. The service, called Google Play Music All Access, is poised to challenge the likes of Spotify, Rdio, and Pandora for your music streaming dollars.

    You can check out my (admittedly long-winded) hands-on walkthrough complete with initial thoughts here, you know, if you want to learn more about it.

    Today, Google has released their first ever promotion for the new product. It channels Dracula, who just needs to make a night-themed playlist he can dance to. And then share it on Google+, of course. You can check it out below:

    You can start your free trial today. Eventually, the service with cost $9.99 a month., but if you sign up before June 30th you can knock two bucks off that monthly price. There is no ad-supported free option for GPMAA.

  • Google Music All Access Goes Live, Here’s What to Expect

    Google Music All Access Goes Live, Here’s What to Expect

    If you’re still looking to add a streaming music service to your collection of services (which, admittedly, could be pretty massive by now), Google wants to throw their hat in the ring. Today, Google launched Google Play Music All Access, which is their new subscription music service that puts millions of tracks at your fingertips, and cozies them up to all of your existing music to produce recommendations. Google says that All Access is all about music discovery.

    They’re not lying – it’s very heavy on the discovery. But more on that later.

    It’s now live, available at music.google.com. The first thing you’ll be prompted to do upon arrival is sign up for the free trial. Google is offering a 30-day free trial, after that the service will be $9.99 a month (the same as Spotify’s premium service). But if you sign up for a free trial before June 30th, Google will knock two bucks off that price. Not bad. When you sign up for the trial (via Google Wallet, but you won’t be charged anything right now), you then be prompted to upload your music to Google Play using Music Manager. Google tells you that All Access is “even better when you combine your collection with ours.”

    The first thing you’ll see is the “Listen Now” section. Google wasn’t kidding when they said at the I/O conference that it would be a true mix of your own music and all of the other music available via All Access. At first, it looks a bit confusing, but you quickly realize that it’s simply made up of a bunch of tiles – each tile representing something different. One tile may suggest an album or track or even a playlist because you recently played it. Right next to that tile, another may suggest a new release based on what you’ve been listening to. Another tile will suggest that you start a radio station based on a song you’ve played.

    Google says that the Listen Now section will improve the more you listen, as it will learn to surface better stuff based on your tastes.

    The “Explore” section is another tool for discovering music, albeit it slightly less-focused on your own personal library and interest. Sure, there’s a “recommendation” section, but it’s not as intensive as the “listen now” section. Two other tabs that help you discover new music inside Explore are “featured” and “new releases.”

    The featured section shows you featured playlists, top albums, and top songs from across the Google Play network.

    And the new releases section is pretty self-explanatory. The Explore tab is also where you can browse music by genre. Google currently suggests 22 different genres, which when clicked on open up options for sub-genres. For instance, if I click on Alternative/Indie, I can then click on ’80s Alternative, Emo/Hardcore, or Neo-Folk. Within each genre you’re given featured playlists, top albums, key albums (the classics in that genre for instance Radiohead’s Kid A), and top new albums.

    From anywhere in the service, just click on an album to open up it’s album page. From there, you can begin playing tracks, and get information on it.

    Also, you can always just play any song that you see by clicking the play button. If it’s on an album, it’ll just start playing the first track on the album.

    As you can see above, there are buttons to “add to my library,” which puts the album alongside all of your owned music in your library, and “play radio.”

    Radio is one of the features that Google seemed really excited by at the I/O conference. With Google Music Radio, all you have to do is base it off of one song, and Google will generate a never-ending playlist of related tracks – not exactly a breakthrough technology within the streaming music service world. But one cool thing about the playlists are that they fully customizable, as you can click and drag to reorder them however you please. Plus, you can play any track in the station whenever you want.

    Clicking on the “Radio” tab on the left-hand side accesses all of your created radio stations, plus gives you some suggested stations.

    Artist pages looks nice, an feature bios, top songs, albums, and related artists:

    Very early, probably misguided and subject to change thoughts:

    Look, there are other streaming music services that offer millions of songs ready to play at the click of a button. Google Music All Access looks to be at least a competent service by this criteria, if not better than that. Time will tell as you search through artists to see what’s available and what isn’t. Google has major labels as partners in the venture, so I think we’ll be good in that department.

    The “Listen Now” section is probably the most notable feature of the service so far. The way that Google interweaves your personal music library with all of the other music available through All Access is nice, and could lead to some good discoveries. Mainly, Google says that it will help remove the paralyzing “what the hell to listen to now” problem.

    One of the major strikes that it has is the lack of a free, ad-supported option. You’re either all-in or all-out with that $9.99 per month fee. And even the free trial requires a credit card signup. I feel that many users will be wary of that.

    But it’s worth a try, and with the free trial why not? Plus, if you sign up before June 30th, you can get All Access for $7.99 a month. Give it a try now.

  • Google To Announce Spotify-Like Streaming Service At Google I/O [Report]

    In his first interview since taking over as Android boss, Google’s Sundar Pichai said that the company wouldn’t be showing any new hardware or software at Google I/O. He didn’t say anything about updates to existing software though.

    The Verge reports that Google has signed a deal with Universal Music and Sony Music as part of its plans to debut a streaming music service at Google I/O today. The report also says that Google’s service would be much like Spotify – offering instant streaming of any song on desktop and mobile devices.

    Now, the interesting part of this report says that Google is planning on launching two separate music subscription services for YouTube and Google Play Music. It’s no secret that YouTube has become a popular music player with many artists uploading songs to the service. A subscription-based music streaming service would also fit in well with Google’s latest attempt to monetize YouTube. For example, labels could use paid channels to offer entire albums on YouTube to subscribers.

    As for Google Play Music, a report out of The New York Times says that Google won’t be offering a free, ad-supported tier of its streaming service. There’s no word on how much it will cost, but it’s said to be competitively priced. in other words, expect to pay about $10 a month for Google’s streaming service.

    Even without a free option, Google’s streaming service is an important step in its continued path towards media domination. Apple has been a dominant force in music since the introduction of iTunes in 2001, and Google only started playing catch up with the introduction of Google Music in 2011. The introduction of a music streaming service would put Google ahead of Apple until the Cupertino-based company decides to debut its own rumored streaming service.

    We’ll find out later today during Google’s opening I/O keynote if a music streaming service is in the cards for the company. We’ll be covering it live, of course, but you can watch Google’s live stream here. The keynote is slated to start at 9 a.m. PST/12 p.m. EST.

  • Google Play Music Hits Five New Countries

    Google Play Music Hits Five New Countries

    Google announced this morning that Google Play Music is launching in five new European countries: Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg and Portugal.

    “Music first launched on Google Play in Europe in November 2012, and the fast rollout to more countries today is due to the multi-territorial licensing process, as recommended by the European Commission last year,” explains Google Play head of international music partnerships, Sami Valkonen. “We have 14 multi-territorial licenses for composition rights covering Europe and representing the vast majority of the world’s music, and have recently welcomed the members of AKM/AUME in Austria, SABAM in Belgium, SPA in Portugal, and IMRO in Ireland into our growing list of author’s society partners.”

    Google is also launching Artist Hub in these countries. This is a platform for independent musicians to sell their music directly to fans. This is discussed a bit more here.

    In addition to the five new countries, Google Play Music is available in the following European countries: the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

  • Google Subscription Music Service Coming In Third Quarter [Report]

    Google Subscription Music Service Coming In Third Quarter [Report]

    Rumors persisted throughout this past weekend that Google is working on a subscription music service that would take on Spotify, Pandora and the like.

    Bloomberg has since put out a report, citing two people with knowledge of the situation, that Google does indeed plan to do so, that negotiations are under way with major record labels, that the service will work with both Android and non-Android devices, and that the “worldwide service” is targeted for the third quarter. The report also says Google is discussing the renewal of deals for the use of songs in consumer-made YouTube videos.

    Obviously Google doesn’t comment on “rumor and speculation”.

    Such a service from Google would complement Google Play Music and YouTube quite nicely, basically eliminating the need for users to use Spotify or Pandora, provided that they prefer the Google experience. Of course, that will not necessarily be the case. People seem to be liking these services just fine, and Spotify’s heavy integration with Facebook seems to be a hit on the social level. Google still can’t really compete there (unless of course, they do tap into Facebook’s Open Graph).

    Either way, such an offering will give people more reason to turn to Google for their music needs, and it will be interesting to see how the competition shakes out. Those deals with labels will obviously be of vital importance.

    Meanwhile, it has been said that Spotify will try to negotiate with labels to make its free streaming service available on mobile devices, which would make the service all the more attractive of an option for users who aren’t willing to pay.

    Google’s Google Music offering recently got music matching capabilities.

  • Google Play Music Gets Music Matching In U.S.

    Google announced via a Google+ post today that Google Play Music now has music matching in the U.S. The feature was launched in Europe last month, but now the iTunes Match-like feature, which scans your music collection and “rebuilds” it in the cloud (for free), is here in the states.

    Here’s what Google had to say about it:

    Google Play

    Google Play3 hours ago

    Traveling this season and want to make sure your music goes with you? Add up to 20,000 songs from your music collection to Google Play and stream it to your Android devices and your computer, anywhere you go.

    Our new music matching feature gets your songs into your online music library on Google Play much faster. We’ll scan your collection and quickly rebuild it in the cloud – all for free. And we’ll stream your music back to you at up to 320 kbps.

    This feature is live today for people in the US, following our European launch last month. Check it out: http://goo.gl/Hehq6!  It’ll be music to your ears. 391    91 Powered by socialditto

    In other Google Play news, Google has a “surprise calendar countdown” in which it is offering free and/or discounted apps, songs, movies, shows, and books in the Google Play Store each day through the end of the year.

    [h/t: Engadget]

  • Google Play Music Finally Gets Gapless Playback, Exclusive To Jelly Bean

    My Android device has become my music player of choice. It’s been great, but there’s one little problem – no gapless playback. It’s especially annoying after living five years with an iPod Nano that could handle gapless playback with no problems. It’s 2012, and it’s kind on maddening that Google still hasn’t worked what should be a basic feature in all music playback software.

    Well, Google has finally updated its Google Play Music app with the much requested gapless playback, but only 2.7 percent of Android users will be able to take advantage of it. In the latest release of the Google Play Music app, gapless playback is now available only to those running Android 4.1 or later. Those of us stuck on previous Android releases will just have to deal with a short few second pause in between tracks.

    Gapless playback isn’t the only addition to the app, however, as Google has introduced a number of updates to its music app today. Many of the additions apply to Android 2.2 and up so there’s a little something for everyone. The rest of the updates include:

  • Added ability to keep Thumbs Up, Last Added, and Free and Purchased playlists on device.
  • Auto-generated Instant Mixes on Recent tab based on your favorite songs.
  • Improvements for keeping music on your device for offline playback.

    • The offline playback and auto-generated mixes are of particular interest to music lovers who prefer to use Google’s app. iTunes remains one of the best music services out there so it’s nice to see Google at least trying to improve its app to the level that’s expected from music apps today.

    There’s still a ways to go, but Google may yet emerge as a major player in the music scene. The app just keeps getting better, and Google keeps getting more content for Google Play as it moves into more countries. Sooner or later, the hardware wars are going to be non-existent, and Google will be battling Apple over content instead of patents. It’s best that both companies get as much of the market as they can now before it comes to that.

    [h/t: Engadget]

  • Google Music Now Preventing Device De-authorization

    Most Google Music users will never know it, but there is a limit to the number of devices that can be authorized and associated with a single Google Music account. Specifically, only 10 different ROMs may be authorized. This limit was never a problem for ordinary users. For edge cases, such as tech journalists who review many phones, a simple, if roundabout, solution was to de-authorize old phones or ROMs in the Google Music settings.

    Now, however, the hackers over at the XDA Developer forums have discovered there is a new limit to the number of devices that can be de-authorized. User Amphibliam on the XDA Galaxy Nexus forum revealed that Google is now preventing the de-authorization of more than 4 devices per year for each Google Music account. The smartphone users in the XDA community often root their Android phones and flash them to an updated ROM frequently, meaning this new limit prevents them from experimenting with their phones as much as they would prefer.

    There is no word yet on why Google has implemented this limit. It really only affects three very specific types of users: the aforementioned tech reviewers, the Android modding community, and Android app developers, who must test their products on a wide variety of phones to ensure compatibility. These are precisely the users that Google does not want becoming unhappy with its services.

    (XDA-Developers via Slash Gear)

  • Samsung Acquires Cloud Media Provider mSpot

    Samsung announced today that it is acquiring mSpot, a mobile cloud entertainment provider. The purchase will allow Samsung to provide mSpot’s Movies and Music services on their phone and tablet devices. It also fits with the trend Samsung set in its announcement of its new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S III. That phone will be packed with exclusive Samsung software and services. No details on the acquisition, such as mSpot’s price, have been announced.

    “mSpot shares our vision to bring a best-in class cloud and streaming entertainment experience to consumers, and they’ve backed it up with great technical solutions from a great engineering team,” said TJ Kang, Senior Vice President of Samsung’s Media Solution Center.

    mSpot currently runs two media products, both available for the iPhone and Android platforms. mSpot Music offers cloud storage and streaming for music similar to Google Music and Apple iCloud, which the company has had to compete with over the past year. mSpot Movies is allows users to rent movies for as little as $2 and stream them across nearly any device.

    “Samsung is unparalleled in terms of global reach and cutting edge devices; with our combined resources, we are looking forward to redefining media consumption across the mobile universe with cloud services,” said mSpot CEO Daren Tsui.

    Purchasing mSpot brings Samsung straight into the streaming media market and gives it the services and technology to instantly compete in that arena with Amazon, Apple, and Google. The move might lend credence to rumors that Samsung is looking to shed Google’s Android platform and strike out on its own. If Samsung were to do that, now is the time. The company has clawed its way to the top of the Android heap and recently even shipped more devices than Apple in the first quarter of 2012.

    What do you think? Is Samsung positioning itself as Apple’s main competitor? Will mSpot’s services improve Samsung’s devices in a meaningful way? Leave a comment below and let us know.

  • Google Play Comes With Big Discounts On Some Music, Movies, Books And Apps

    Google announced Google Play today. This is Google’s new app/music/video/book store, which is replacing Android Market, Google Music and the Google eBookstore.

    Google kicked off a big sale to celebrate the launch, called 7 Days to Play, in which Googl eis offering a different album, book, video rental and Android app at a special price each day for the next week. Google Director of Digital Content Jamie Rosenberg writes on the Google Blog:

    In the U.S., today’s titles include the collection of top 40 hits Now That’s What I Call Music 41, the popular game Where’s My Water, the novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and the movie Puncture for just 25 cents each. In addition, you’ll find great collections of hip-hop, rock and country albums for $3.99 all week, detective novels from $2.99, some of our editorial team’s favorite movies from 99 cents, and our favorite apps from 49 cents.

    Google’s already sending around an email campaign for the sale:

    (image)

    More on Google Play:

    Updating Android Market To Google Play

    Google Play On iOS Devices … Kind Of

    Google Play Badges Available For Android Developers

    Google Play Incites Mixed Twitter Reaction

  • Google Play On iOS Devices … Kind Of

    Google is combining Android Market, Google Music and the Google eBookstore into one product called Google Play. Given that Google Play has replaced Android Market, users of iOS may be wondering if they can use it. The answer is yes. Kind of.

    Don’t expect to start using Android apps on your iPhone or iPad, but users of such devices can still take advantage of Google Play to some extent. Google had the following to say in its help center:

    Google Play is available on any computer with a modern browser at play.google.com. On the web, you can browse and buy books, movies and music. You can read books on the Google Play web reader, listen to music on your computer or watch movies online. Your digital content is all stored in the cloud, so you can access from anywhere using your Google Account.

    We’ve also created ways to experience your music and books on other platforms such as the Google Books iOS app.

    There is also a Google Music app for iOS, so I assume that will update to Google Play as well. Google Music on the web has already updated.

    You can go to play.google.com on your iOS device, and you can try to download an Android app, but it will just tel you it doesn’t have an Android device associated with the account. That is assuming you don’t have a separate Android device associated.

    If you are using Android, here’s more on updating to Google Play.

  • Updating Android Market To Google Play

    As you may have heard, Google is replacing Android Market with Google Play. Actually, Google Play is a combination of Android Market, Google Music and the Google eBookstore.

    If you have an Android device, you may be wondering how to update it. To answer your question, it will update automatically.

    “If your device can be updated, the Android Market app will automatically update to the Google Play Store app,” Google says in a help center article. “Once you have it, the Google Play Store app automatically updates itself when new versions become available. This is a silent update, which means you will not see a notification and will not be prompted to update.”

    The update will be rolling out over the coming days. Videos, books and music apps (in countries where they are available) will be upgraded to Google Play Movies, Google Play Books and Google Play Music apps.

    “The music, movies, books and apps you’ve purchased will continue to be available to you through Google Play,” Google’s Director of Digital Content, Jamie Rosenberg, assures users. “Simply log in with your Google account like always.

    On your device, the Android Market app icon will change to the Google Play Store icon. I’ve already heard some early criticism of the logo, but I imagine everyone will get used to.

    For the movies, books and music apps, Google says you’ll begin to see Play versions of these, such as “Play Music,” and “Play Movies.”

  • Google Play: Android Market, Google Music, Google eBookstore Combine As One

    Google is combining the Android Market, Google Music and the Google eBookstore into one product called Google Play, which appears to be Google’s answer to the iTunes store.

    The company says it will be upgrading the Android Market app on Android devices to the Google Play Store app over the coming days.

    “Your videos, books and music apps (in countries where they are available) will also be upgraded to Google Play Movies, Google Play Books and Google Play Music apps,” explains Google Director of Digital Content Jamie Rosenberg. “The music, movies, books and apps you’ve purchased will continue to be available to you through Google Play—simply log in with your Google account like always.”

    “In the U.S., music, movies, books and Android apps are available in Google Play,” says Rosenberg. “In Canada and the U.K., we’ll offer movies, books and Android apps; in Australia, books and apps; and in Japan, movies and apps. Everywhere else, Google Play will be the new home for Android apps. Our long-term goal is to roll out as many different types of content as possible to people around the world, and we’ll keep adding new content to keep it fresh.”

    One major element of all of this is that this will heavily brand Android devices with the Google name, which hasn’t always been the case. If Android Market is Google Play, then users will know for certain that they’re dealing with Google. This kind of goes hand in hand with Google’s continued consolidation of its numerous products into a more unified brand. This has been reflected with the increased Google+ integration into Google products, and the new privacy policy that went into effect the other day.

    “We believe that with a strong brand, compelling offerings, and a seamless purchasing and consumption experience, Google Play will drive more traffic and revenue to the entire ecosystem,” says Google’s Kenneth Lui on the Android Developers blog. “We’ll be investing in the brand to bring Google Play to as many people as possible, and we’ll also invest in the latest digital content to keep Google Play fresh, relevant, and engaging. Apps and games remain the core of Google Play, so we’ll continue investing in new ways to connect users with their favorite apps, and developers with new customers.”

    “Google Play is built on the same infrastructure as Android Market, so the transition for users and developers will be seamless,” he adds. “Users can sign into their existing accounts with the same credentials as before and purchase content using the same payment methods. As a developer, there’s no change needed to your published products and you can continue to use the same publishing tools to put your app in front of hundreds of millions of Android users. If your app was in Android Market yesterday, it’s in Google Play today.”

    Google Play stores up to 20,000 songs for free (which was already the case with Google Music).

    Google is offering a different album, book, video rental and Anroid app at a discount each day for the next week to promote Google Play in what Google is calling the “7 Days to Play” sale.

  • Google Music Gets Download Option

    Google Music Gets Download Option

    Google has finally added a feature that Google Music users have been clamoring for since the service launched last year. Google Music users can now download music from from their library. The download option applies both to music that users have uploaded themselves and to music they have purchased from the Google Music store. While uploaded music may be downloaded as often as the user wants, purchased songs may only be downloaded twice.

    The download option can accessed from the web interface or Google’s Music Manager software. Downloading from the web interface is as easy as clicking on the small triangle next to an album’s artwork or a song’s title. You can download entire albums, individual songs, or multiple songs. Users who have used the Music Manager software to upload music to their library should now have a “Download” tab that shows options for downloading music from their library. Google’s support page has more info here.

    Are you excited about the new Google Music feature? Let us know in the comments.

  • Android Market Blowout Sale: 49¢ Tracks, $4.99 Albums

    In what looks like the biggest music sale since the new and improved Google Music linked up with the Android Market back in November, millions of individual songs and hundreds of thousands of full albums are being offered for discounted prices.

    Over at the Android Market, we’re notified that this is of course a limited time offer, but how limited is yet to be determined.

    We’re proud to offer you over half a million albums for $4.99 and over ten million tracks for 49¢. Search around the site for your favorites—we promise you’ll find something you like at a great price! Few things in life are more important than music, and, since we launched the music store in the Android Market a few weeks ago, we’ve sought to connect you with the tunes you love.

    * Promotion excludes single albums with original retail price above $15, double-albums, and tracks with original retail price above $1.29. Google Music artist hub and Sony albums and tracks are also not included.

    Unlike another recent Google Music promotion that discounted holiday songs, this sale looks to feature music from all over the place. The front page selection of $0.49 tracks features varied artists like Nirvana, Radiohead, Drake, Rihanna, Stevie Wonder, and M83.

    @Android
    Android    (US only) Celebrate with millions of 49c tracks and full albums for $4.99 for a limited time on Android Market. http://t.co/JzFYXRiJ 12 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    The full albums that Google is offering for $4.99 include older classics like The Police’s Synchronicity as well as new hits like Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto and Kanye and Jay-Z’s Watch The Throne.

    So head on over and stock up for the winter. If anything will beat back the mid-January blues, it’s got to be a bunch of new music.

  • Google Music for Google TV

    Google Music launched to the public this week, as you probably know by now. The company has now launched the Google Music App for Google TV.

    “The app syncs with your Google Music account in the cloud, so there is no need to stream from a computer or download songs to the TV,” explains Google TV Product Manager Jurek Foryciarz. “Simply download the Google Music app for Google TV from Android Market, login with your account, and enjoy your entire music library through your HDTV and home theater system.”

    “Google Music for Google TV plays in the background while you enjoy other apps on your Google TV,” adds Foryciarz.”You can add a custom soundtrack to slideshows from the Photos app, you can enjoy your favorite tunes while surfing the web, or you can just add some mood music while you peruse the latest news headlines, all from the comfort of your couch.”

    Google Music for Google TV

    Google says to sign up for Googe Music from your computer, and upload all of your music. Then you can enjoy it all from the television.

    More details on Google Music, from the live event where it was announced can be found here. Google has an official blog posts talking about it here as well (including this video).

    More on the lukewarm reaction to Google Music here.

  • The Nerve of Google Music

    How dare Google? How dare they launch a music service that isn’t the apparent iTunes killer people are clearly desperate for? How dare Google provide a free cloud music service that’s cross compatible with other devices outside of the Android environment? I mean, iTunes files are only usable in the iTunes-compatible environment, so who does Google think they are offering a service that allows you to scan and upload your iTunes files up to the free cloud storage facility and allow you to access these files from any connected device?

    Considering the amount of vitriol concerning Google Music‘s launch, you’d think the service completely reformatted and deleted everybody’s hard drive, or, at least, it was completely unusable. The funny thing is, Google Music is quite usable, if, for nothing else, the fact that it offers free cloud storage, and after watching Josh access files from his workstation computer — a Mac — the service works just fine, at least in regards to free cloud computing.

    Sure, there are issues with not securing all of the major labels — Google has three of the four — and no, the service is not all that it can, and probably will be. That being said, it’s not the burning husk of wasted web code some are making it out to be, either. Unless, of course, you think this kind of criticism is valid instead of more Google bashing:

    Tying a music store to a storage locker is not enough anymore. The technologies might be current, but the ideas behind Google Music are tired. An a la carte music store? A storage locker? MP3 lending? Guh. These concepts are all old. More to the point, they’re DONE. If, as a company, you’re going to improve on an existing product, well, that’s awesome. Thank you. But if you give us more of the same shit we’ve already had for years, we’d kindly ask you to leave Thunderdome. In a body bag.

    Meanwhile, iCloud, which offers much of the same functionality as Google Music’s cloud storage, gets glowing write-ups, from the same publication the above blockquote was taken from, like these:

    For some of us, iCloud means we’re never buying another computer, and for the rest of us, iCloud will be the end of computing as we have always known it… iCloud transforms our machines into little more than a variety of screens we’ll use to peek at data, in much the same way we use screens to peek in at TV shows. There’s nothing to learn, and nothing to manage. iCloud makes your computer and its file system completely unnecessary.

    But because Google Music had the audacity to launch without, well, without being a complete iTunes killer, apparently, it isn’t that good, even though the service, by all accounts, works rather well.

    Google Music offers free songs as well as those you can purchase, and after Josh downloaded “Bombs Over Baghdad,” you find the files are in the MP3 format, with 320 KBS playback rate. Oh, look, no proprietary software restrictions here, unless, of course, MP3s are no longer a universally supported file, which they are.

    Of the more honest critiques I’ve read, Danny Sullivan’s comes to mind, but that’s because he finds the entire sharing process to be confusing. As far as accessing a Google Music file on your Android device and the confusion involved, I can’t speak to that, but Josh isn’t having much of a problem accessing these files on his workstation. One of Sullivan’s main complaints has to do with sharing music that was purchased outside of the Android Market:

    I was fairly annoyed when I realized that songs already in my library, that hadn’t been purchased through Android Market, couldn’t be shared. There’s no good reason for this. All Google Music needs to do is match up songs to their pages in Android Market, and it could be done.

    My counterpoint to that is, is song sharing that important of a feature? Does everyone in social network need to know you bought Rhinna’s new song? Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun turning others on to new artists and/or songs they haven’t heard before, but then again, it’s not the most crucial aspect of acquiring new music, at least to this writer.

    With all of this in mind, is the criticism concerning Google Music a little overblown, thanks to the expectation level or is it right on the money?

  • Google Music Gets Store, Social Features & More

    Google held its anticipated Google Music event today, and revealed the new version of Google Music, which is free and available to all (no more invites).

    The new release includes a music store, with record label partners: Universal, EMI, Sony, and a bunch of independents:

    independent labels

    They will also work to add more partners.

    The service is launching with some special and free offerings from the Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Busta Rhymes ,Shakira, Pearl Jam and the Dave Matthews Band.

    90-second previews are available for all songs.

    You can upload up to 20,000 songs to your collection. You can pin songs from your collection for offline listening, which should be good for plane trips.

    “Other cloud services think you have to pay to listen to music that you own. We don’t,” said Google’s Jamie Rosenberg.

    A “music” section is being added to the Android Market, similar to the Movies and Books offerings. T-Mobile customers will be able to pay for music directly through their T-Mobile phone bills. T-Mobile is giving its customers more free exclusive content from Drake, Maroon 5, Busta Rhymes and other artists.

    Google Music in Android Market

    There are recommendations through staff pick, promotions, and through various content (for example, they showed a profile on a specific record label).

    When you buy a song, you can share it with friends via Google+ or by email address (for those that don’t use Google+). They can listen to the whole song once for free. If you buy a whole album and do this, they can listen to the whole album once for free.

    Google Music has an “artist hub” for artists to submit music. They can build artist pages, upload original content and set their own prices. There’s a one time $25 fee to create an artist fee. Artists keep 70% of the revenue from sales. There are no annual or per album upload fees. You can release your music as frequently as you see fit. So you can put up demos and live concerts. You can change pricing and details at anytime. They’re also working with YouTube to be able to sell songs from YouTube videos and channels.

    Google also announced that it has hit 200 million Android devices activated worldwide. They’re adding 550K devices a day.

    The offering is available on the web today, and will roll out across Android devices over the next few days.