Google Introduces Music Component

Google strives to be much more than a standard search engine, and has achieved that on many levels by evolving and staying on top of trends. When they released Google+ this past July, the people at Google were hoping it would be a social media giant that would rival the likes of Facebook. However, it has failed to take off as hoped and many (including us) got bored with it after the initial hype. Google is hoping to make waves again by reaching into the music market and providing its users with an alternative to iTunes.

Google Music will be integrated into Android phones, which is the world’s number one operating smartphone system and powers roughly 200 million devices worldwide. Google Music already has over 13 million songs in their system that will be available through various internet-connected devices.

Google Music is hoping to distinguish itself from other music sites by utilizing Google+ and allowing users to share purchased music with friends. This doesn’t mean users can buy a song and friends can steal it to load on music devices. It basically means that Google+ users will get “free, full play” of songs purchased by friends. You can also access your music on any of your devices at anytime. You never have to worry about synching or being online.

I think it’s great that they’re adding the music component and working with Android phones. This will be the greatest competitive advantage over iTunes in my opinion. However, I’m not sure how Google Music will ultimately be able to compete with iTunes and other social music sites on non-mobile platforms. A differentiator they’re touting is the ability to share on Google+. Google+ seems to be having a tough time breaking into the every day social media world. If I wanted to hear a song in its entirety, I can go to YouTube, Pandora, Turntable, Spotify or Blip.

What are your thoughts on Google Music and how do you think they can make their mark in the online musical world? Leave your thoughts below!