Google unveils All Accessmusic streaming

SAN FRANCISCO - Google Inc. unveiled a streaming music service Wednesday called All Access that blends songs users have already uploaded to their online libraries with millions of other tracks for a $10 monthly fee.

The service puts the Internet Goliath in competition with popular paid subscription plans such as Spotify and Rhapsody and free music services such as Pandora.

The announcement at Google’s annual developers conference in San Francisco kickedoff a wave of developments in the digital music space that are expected to entice consumers with ways to listen to music on a range of devices.

Rival Apple Inc. is expected to debut a digital radio service later this year; Google-owned YouTube is also working on a paid subscription music plan; and Sweden’s Spotify is exploring a way to make a version of its paid streaming plan free with ads on mobile devices, according to a person in the music industry familiar with the matter.

The person was not authorized to speak publicly about the developments because the deals and features on the serviceshave not been finalized.

Google is playing catch-up in the digital music space after launching its music store in November 2011. Apple’s iTunes Store, which launched in 2003, is the leader in song downloads and Spotify claims about 6 million paying subscribers worldwide.

But Google’s extensive reach on mobile devices that use its Android operating system means it could narrow the gap quickly. Some 44 percent of active smart phones in the United States are powered by the Android software, according to research firm eMarketer. Google said about 900 million Androiddevices have been activated worldwide.

All Access will be available in the United States on Wednesday and comes with a 30-day free trial. It is expected to roll out soon in 12 other countries where Google currently sells music, including 10 European countries such as the U.K., France and Germany, as well as Australia and New Zealand. If you start the trial by June 30, the monthly fee drops to $8 for the foreseeable future.

Google’s All Access allows users to search for songs, albums or artists directly, or peruse 22 different genres.

Business, Pages 24 on 05/17/2013

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