It looks like the clouds will be alive with music this spring as Google is set to announce a cloud-based music streaming service later today at its annual I/O developer conference, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter.
The service is expected to be very much like the one Amazon just launched and the one Apple is expected to unveil in the near future. Users would store their music on Google’s cloud and then be able to stream that music to any number of devices. Users won’t be able to download the files themselves.
Google’s system would be what is called a “passive” locker, which means that it is limited in features and doesn’t require that Google obtain licenses from the music industry, because users own the music that they’re streaming from their locker on Google’ cloud.
Amazon, Google and Apple aren’t the only companies playing in this arena; they just happen to the biggest. Numerous music-centric cloud-based services are available to consumers.
Apple’s service has been especially intriguing to many, as it will have the gold standard billing and other advantages of its existing iTunes store and customer base.
Filed Under: Devices
