Digital Top Stories

Google might launch download store with two majors missing

By | Published on Monday 24 October 2011

Google

We’ve been cautious about reports that a Google download store is imminent because of claims by some major label insiders that licensing talks are someway off completion. But, according to the Wall Street Journal, the web giant is prepared to put its new music service live – in the US at least – without all four majors on board, which possibly gives more credence to rumours Google Music could go live in the next two weeks.

As previously reported, it’s thought the new Google download service will sit alongside the company’s existing music-focused digital locker platform, the MP3 storage service the web firm launched earlier this year without the involvement of the music industry.

Latest gossip says there will also be a tie-up between Google Music and Google+, the web giant’s most recent attempt at a social network (its previous effort, Google Buzz, having now been shut down). Users will be able to recommend songs from the Google Music catalogue to their Google+ followers, who will then be able to stream a recommended song in full once for free (a little like mFlow, I suppose).

According to The Journal, EMI has all but licensed the new service, with Universal also thought to be close to agreement. Two indie label representatives are also reportedly close to doing deals, though that’s likely to be aggregators The Orchard and IODA rather than Merlin, which represents most of the big independent music companies. Sony and Warner are the major labels that are unlikely to have deals in place if Google goes through with plans to launch in the next fortnight.

Of course “we’ll launch without you” is a common line used by those struggling to get licensing deals in place for a new digital music service, but launching without a major label catalogue – especially one as big as Sony’s – is risky, as early adopters are more prone to be dismissive of a new service if they find searches for specific artists or tracks frequently bring back no results.

The Journal’s sources say Sony and Warner are not delaying simply based on price negotiations, but on other concerns. Warner wants Google to backtrack on its digital locker service, and give the labels a cut of any subscription revenues it generates (as Apple is doing with iCloud), while Sony is pushing for more proactive measures from Google against piracy across the board, including on its search engine and YouTube.

YouTube, of course, is the Google music service people actually use, even if it’s not specifically positioned as a music website. As previously reported, YouTube is introducing a new sell-through platform that will enable artists to sell downloads, tickets and merchandise from their artist channels At the moment the download option there will link through to iTunes and Amazon MP3, and it remains to be seen if and how the Google Music download store will be integrated.



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