At Google I/O in May, Google launched the beta of Google Music, its very own cloud music service. Being a music lover and an Android user, I was ecstatic upon hearing this news. Finally, I will be able to sync my iTunes library to my smartphone - or any other Internet-connected device - without filling up the memory (I’ve got 29GB of music at the moment). I can finally stop carrying around an iPod and a smartphone and carry just my Incredible smartphone. I requested an invite to Music right away, and just received it two weeks ago!
I read reports from CNET, TechCrunch and GigaOm, that gave me low expectations for Google Music. However, I was pleasantly surprised as I began playing around with it. The process for uploading music, albeit slow, is very easy, and Google Music even offers FREE MUSIC to start your cloud! What a great way to discover some new artists and be reunited with some old (like New Kids on the Block, “The Right Stuff,” no joke). It is definitely nice to be able to access my music from any computer and up to eight other Android devices!
One thing that I didn’t think about when first drooling over Google Music was the time it would take for my 29GB of music to upload to the cloud…I mean, days, really!? And every time I purchase new music, I have to remember to upload it to my cloud. These are minor annoyances, I realize, but when companies are offering similar services, it’s the minor details that lead consumers to choose one over the other. As such, this had me anxious for Apple to announce its answer to cloud music service – which was announced at WWDC.
Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed as Apple did not lead me to the Holy Grail, even going so far as to eventually charge $25 a year subscription fee for iTunes Match, the service that allows you to upload your music not purchased from iTunes. Don’t get me wrong – I pay for my music; I buy my music on iTunes and Amazon and I upgraded my Pandora account to a premium $36 a year subscription – but here’s the thing: I purchased this music once already (a lot of it in CD form), so I don’t think Apple should charge me again to listen to it, just because I didn’t buy it from them. I think it’s great that Apple has found a way to help the record industry reclaim some money from illegal downloads by signing licensing agreements with the top four labels, because as we all know the music industry has seen a huge decline in recent years and would be eternally grateful to start turning a profit from its product again.
But is the cloud the White Knight the music industry has been waiting for? In short, it may be too soon to say. In the end, the cloud will benefit the consumers, not the industry. Music lovers are greedy. We want access to our music and we want it now – MTV first empowered our Veruca Salt mentality in the 80s, encouraging us to shout from the rooftops that “I WANT MY MTV!” Well, now we want our MP3s. I don’t think the number of people who will subscribe to a cloud music service will make a significant drop in the bucket for the industry. But for now, as I walk around the city, ear buds in, I love being able to finally access my music – anytime, anywhere – from the cloud. And of course, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this guy puts out some new material soon so I can add his songs to my music catalog.
PS – Check out the screenshots below!
Google Music Genre View
Google Music Playlist View
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