Report: Google's Cloud-Based Music Store Close To Launch

Finally Coming?

Back in FEBRUARY (NET NEWS 2/1), ALL ACCESS reported that iTUNES rules the digital music store roost, but is getting closer to having serious competition, as GOOGLE is getting closer to debuting a music service, according to multiple music industry sources. Reports have GOOGLE MUSIC launching as soon as MARCH.

Well, it's taken longer than that, but THE WALL STREET JOURNAL reports, "GOOGLE INC. is creating an online music store to compete with APPLE INC. and AMAZON.COM INC., though the company may open the service without the rights to sell songs from many of the biggest record labels, according to people familiar with the matter. According to these people, all four of the major music companies have held talks to license their catalogs to GOOGLE for the new online store. But only the smallest, CITIGROUP INC.'s EMI GROUP, is close to a deal, they said."

It's expected that GOOGLE's service would be cloud-based, like this week's rollout of APPLE's iCLOUD.

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