Google Inc. GOOG -1.31% is set to launch a paid subscription music-streaming service akin to that of Spotify AB as soon as this week, according to people familiar with the matter.
Google on Wednesday is hosting its annual conference for software developers, Google I/O, where it has previewed new music-related initiatives in past years and it could unveil the new service then, these people said.
Google has signed deals with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group to give people unlimited access to certain libraries of their songs for a fee, two of these people said.Google already has an existing music service, which it launched in 2011 and is part of its Google Play digital-media store for devices powered by its Android operating system.That service only lets people buy individual songs or albums, while the new one from Google's Android unit offers a paid subscription model to access whole libraries of songs.
Despite internal financial projections in 2011 that revenue from the music-buying service would reach more than $2 billion by this year, according to legal documents unearthed last year, some analysts say actual revenue is a fraction of that.It is unclear what kind of fee Google would charge for the new service, and whether there would be ads. Google generates almost all of its revenue from selling ads.
The music-streaming market is getting crowded. Apple Inc. AAPL +1.34% has been in talks to license music for a custom-radio service similar to the popular one operated by Pandora MediaInc. P -0.54%
Amazon.com Inc. AMZN -0.92% is working on a device for streaming audio through speakers or a television set and would offer a music-subscription service to compete with Pandora or Spotify, people familiar with the matter have said.
Like Apple and Google, Amazon already sells digital music by the song or album.
Spotify charges people $9.99 per month to listen to as many songs as they would like on any device. It also has a free, ad-supported version. Pandora charges $3.99 per month for its radio-style service and has a free, ad-supported version.
Separately, Google's YouTube video website has been trying to obtain licenses from music labels to start a paid subscription service for music videos and potentially also for audio-only songs, people familiar with the initiative have said. It is unclear where those talks stand.
At Google's developers conference, which takes place in San Francisco, the company also is expected to announce several upgrades to Android software as well as its line of Android-powered "Nexus" smartphones and tablet devices that it co-develops with hardware manufacturers. It also is expected to show off new features for its high-profile Google Glass wearable-computing device that it will sell to the public next year.
Last year at Google I/O, the company unveiled its $299 Nexus Q music- and video-streaming device, which it designed and built in the U.S. But Google later delayed the launch of the ball-shaped computing device to the public, saying it received poor feedback from consumers.
Two people familiar with the matter said the Nexus Q project is still continuing inside of Google but one of these people said that a relaunch shouldn't be expected this week.
A Google spokeswoman declined to comment.
Source : Google News
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