- Posted by: Erin
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- Nov 18, 2011
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Google Music Beta
On Wednesday, Google officially launched their version of iTunes called “Google Music Beta”, and to celebrate, artists lent exclusive tracks to give away to its customers.
Google’s music service has already allowed its users to upload up to 20,000 songs from their own collection for free. This will allow users to stream that music to any 3G/4G or Wi-Fi device they choose.
Apparently, Apple charges an annual fee of $25 for uploading and storing up to 25,000 songs that were not purchased through iTunes, while Amazon charges just $20 for unlimited cloud music storage (along with 20GB for other files). Since this is the case, Google was smart for offering the free perk.
Other perks? Other than the reasonable music prices that range from $0.69 and $1.29 per track, Google is also giving away one free song for users to download every day. Consumers are also allowed to share purchased songs with their Google+ friends.
SPIN reports some specific bands providing free material to users. Here are just a few:
Rolling Stones – You can get the previously unreleased concert Brussels Affair (Live, 1973) now, and in the coming months, five others will follow.
Pearl Jam – You can get a live album from the band’s show in Toronto on September 11, 2011.
Coldplay – You can get a live recording of “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall,” a five-track live EP from one of their recent concerts in Madrid, and a “Paradise” remix by Tiësto.
Shakira – You can download a live EP from a show she did in Paris, along with her new single “Je L’Aime à Mourir.”
Dave Matthews Band – You can get two live concerts from the band, coming soon!
So far, Google has received a positive response for the music service, so time will tell if it proves to be a strong business threat to competitors like iTunes and Amazon’s MP3 store.
