Google's Plan to Enter the Music Market

On the heels of the popularity of Google's Android phone, the search giant is in negotiations to enter the music market, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report. It is still unclear if this music service is going to be a pay per download service patterned after Apples iTunes, or if it will be something completely different. Currently, Google has a music search feature that allows users to find music just by typing in “music:” before their search term, so there is some speculation that the new service will harness the search feature and allow for an instant pay for download using Google Checkout.

According to Peter Kafka, this model type would be a good step for Google.

“ A viable music store gives Google the following:

• A value-add for Android and a wedge against one-time ally Apple

• An owned-and-operated destination for all the music search traffic Google currently sends out to MySpace Music (via iLike) and Rhapsody, Pandora, etc.

• And just maybe, a reason for consumers to finally sign up for a Google Checkout account, which has had little traction despite years of effort. If Google can get Google Checkout up and running and create the billing relationship with its users that Apple and Amazon (AMZN) already enjoy, then all sorts of other businesses, from YouTube movie rentals to Android app sales, become much more interesting.”

This sounds like it could be a good investment for Google, but I am not yet convinced that this is way they are going to do it. I have been an early adopter of many of the Google services, like Gmail, GoogleVoice, Google Buzz and Gtalk, and I have always been impressed with their creativity and forward thinking. My thoughts are that they will take advantage of their newly launched cloud service and make a cloud available to each user to store their music libraries. Storing a music library on a cloud would allow each user to access their music and stream it to any internet connected device, including the Android phone. How much storage each device has would no longer be important if all of your files were on the Google Cloud. Making the service free for users would give them the opportunity to gather user information based on your music library in order to target you with Adsense advertising and would also lay the infrastructer to later provide pay for movie and concert rental with YouTube.

With wireless internet so ubiquitous, there is no longer as much of a need for anyone to pay for music. You can play music from YouTube with your cell phone, and even make playlists. With bittorrent and other filesharing sites, it is easier than ever to download mp3s (even if it is illegal). The reality is that we live in a time where someone who doesn't want to pay for music, never, ever has to. By providing a value added services with Google Cloud, the idea of paying for it becomes more attractive. People don't want to pay for things that they can get easier for free, but I think that Google has the ability to come up with a service that will give us a bit of bang for our buck and they could be on to something that might give the recording industry a bit of hope for the future.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a freelance writer and regular contributor to several websites and other publications, a volunteer, a full time mom and an active job seeker.