Google Officially Announces Streaming Music Service

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Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has now made it official. We’ve known for quite some time that the search giant was expected to launch a streaming music service, and today we finally have the details. Today at the company’s I/O developer conference, it announced a $9.99 per month service, putting pressure on companies like Spotify and Pandora Media Inc (NYSE:P) and beating Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to the punch.

Google Officially Announces Streaming Music Service

It’s expected that the company will also launch a streaming service through YouTube.

Details On Google’s New Music Service

The new All Access subscription service will be linked to Google Play for Android. Currently Google Play users can stream music they’ve already purchased through the app, but those who purchase the company’s streaming music service will also be able to stream songs they haven’t bought.

Users who want to try out Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s new service can get it at a discounted price of $7.99 per month if they sign up by June 30. The service will be available starting today and also comes with a 30-day free trial.

How Google Play All Access Works

The music can also be linked to users’ Google+ accounts, and users can look to see what songs are coming up and swipe to take them off the list if they don’t want to hear them. There’s an Explore tab that will enable users to browse through millions of songs based on recommendations from Google, genre or even expert playlists.

Although Google didn’t say which record labels it has made a deal with, it’s believed that the company has finalized negotiations with Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group.

Google Play Vs. Spotify

Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s new streaming service is seen as a major threat to Spotify, which is also priced at $9.99 per month. The app features the biggest music library with 20 million licensed songs. More than 24 million people use Spotify every month, and 6 million pay for their subscriptions.

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