Google to Unveil Music Service

Search giant Google plans to unveil an online music store Wednesday to compete with Apple and its dominant iTunes service, according to reports from Bloomberg News and The Wall Street Journal.

Citing “people familiar with the matter,” both outlets says three of the four major music publishers -- Sony, Vivendi’s Universal Music Group and EMI -- have reached deals to sell their music on Google’s service.

Bloomberg News notes that the lone holdout, Warner Music Group, has expressed concerns about pricing and piracy.
The music service would include cloud storage for songs so users can play tracks on multiple devices. No details were provided on how much songs and albums would cost.

Google enters a highly competitive digital music business, headlined by rival Apple and its 8-year-old iTunes service, as well as Amazon and its MP3 offerings.

There’s also a host of online options such as Pandora, Rdio and Spotify, which allow users to stream music for free. (Agencies)