AfterDawn: News

Google and Big 4 team up for music streaming via search engine

Google is partnering with the Big 4 labels in an effort to stream music via Google's popular search engine, making it easier for users to discover and ultimately purchase music.

Google has about 65 percent of the search engine market, far ahead of Yahoo, Bing and Baidu.



The new feature will be backed by iLike and Lala, the streaming music startups owned by MySpace.

Users can search for the songs, which will then be streamed on the Google results page. You can then hit "Buy" and be led to iTunes or Amazon MP3 where the song is available for purchase.

All of the Big 4 labels, UMG, EMI, Sony Music and Warner Music are already signed on, say the sources.

The service is unnamed as of now, but should be officially launched on October 28th.

The news was originally reported by TechCrunch.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 21 Oct 2009 14:34

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• 5 comments

• SDF_GR

  The way it goes, google will even make food deliver.

  21.10.2009 20:30 #1

• atomicxl

  Google reminds me of an open source version of the bad guy from that James Bond movie who wanted to dominate the world via software.

  22.10.2009 22:45 #2

• champman

  What is going to be unique about Google streaming music when you have other well-established free streaming services - at very good quality - from the likes of Last.fm, Spotify, Shoutcast?
  
  You can still buy music from these services so unless they offer uncompressed (FLAC) music for a change I won't bother and have been content with existing services.
  
  People's habits are changing and most friends have stopped buying music - digitally or retail - and only listen to streams or radio.
  
  On a personal note; If i'm going to faff on Googling for music in the search bar, I'd rather search YouTube and watch the music video in my downtime at work.

  29.10.2009 22:55 #3

• lim268653

  SPAM removed

  18.11.2009 01:20 #4

• ipoda

  Originally posted by lim268653: SPAM removedit is the SPAM?!

  19.1.2010 04:05 #5