Google Launches All-Access Music Streaming Service

News
By Jane McEntegart
published

Mountain View's long-rumored music streaming service is finally official.

Today is only day one of Google I/O but the company has already given us plenty to talk about. Just one of the announcements made during today's marathon keynote was the launch of brand new music streaming service for Android users.

We've been hearing rumors about Google's music streaming plans for months. The last we heard, the company was negotiating with music labels to offer a subscription-based music service to rival Spotify. Today, Google announced that service. It goes by the name of Google Play Music All Access and will allow users to stream millions of songs across their devices. Google says All Access users will be able to create special radio stations for songs or artists that they love, as well as browse recommendations or explore music by genre. You can also incorporate your own collection of music, with storage space for 20,000 tracks in the cloud.

Google didn't mention much about an international launch and it seems Google Play All Access Music is U.S.-only for now (boo!). Though previous rumors hinted at a three-tier format, Google just talked about one tier of service today. A monthly subscription will set you back ten bucks a month with the first month of service offered for free. No word on the ad-supported free version or the $15 unlimited music and video tier we heard about in February. Users that sign up for their month-long free trial before the end of June will get two dollars off their subscription price and will only have to pay $7.99 per month compared to the regular $9.99 pricing.

Check out our other Google I/O coverage:

Live Blog: Tune in for Live Coverage of Google I/O 2013

Google Announces GS4 with Stock Android at Google I/O

Google Launches All Access Music Streaming Service

Google Intros Google Play Game Services at Google I/O

Google Maps Gets a Revamp You'll Actually Notice

Jane McEntegart
7 Comments Comment from the forums
  • ubercake
    $10 a month for internet radio doesn' t make much sense to me. I'd pay $2-5/month for sure. Until then, I'll stick with my cloud-based player.
    Reply
  • bull22
    "Google Play Music All Access" They couldn't come up with something better than that?
    Reply
  • the1kingbob
    I agree, $10/month is just a bit to expensive. I just can't justify $120/year for radio, but then again somehow satellite radio still exists.
    Reply
  • Google Music looks good, but many are disappointed with no Nexus 7 II, however, one new Android tablet that while from a lesser known tabletmaker, does launch this week, and offers impressive features and a great price -- the Icoo 7GS (3G edition) -- with one of the first sites it's available through is called TabletSprint -- this new 7-inch Android tablet compares to the current $300 Nexus 7 3G version, with most of the same features, but sells for about $200 -- and offers one of the newest Rockchip Quad Core processors, 16GB memory, an HD 1280X800 IPS screen, Bluetooth, WiFi, MicroSD memory card storage, HDMI, Dual Cameras and a SIM slot built in with 3G HSPA+ and unlike the current Nexus 7 3G which only provides data Internet access, the Icoo 7GS offers both internet and phone call connection through any GSM carrier, including AT&T and T-Mobile -- the site TabletSprint also features a few other upcoming Android devices worth checking out that become available in early June.
    Reply
  • Tedders
    Its not just radio guys, its a full music storage, streaming and radio service. Not only that, but you can listen to ALL music that they have available for purchase. Its like Rhapsody. You can listen to entire albums. You have access to it all. If you sign up now you get 30 days free AND it will only be $8/month.
    Reply
  • killbits
    What advantages does this have over Spotify Premium? It's the same price, and Spotify lets me play any song, at any time, on any device, and has a radio function. Obviously this article doesn't have a lot of details, but it sounds pretty much the same.
    Reply
  • ubercake
    10812838 said:
    I agree, $10/month is just a bit to expensive. I just can't justify $120/year for radio, but then again somehow satellite radio still exists.

    Everytime XM calls to re-activate my car, I lay it out for them. I tell them I don't feel their product is worth $150/year and that I feel a fair price for their product is $50 a year. They say they can't do that. But then days later I'll receive an XM deal in the mail to sign up for an introductory rate of $25 for six months. This brings me to $50 a year when I call to cancel during the sixth month as they usually give me the same offer for the next six months.

    I just don't see more than $50 worth of value a year in some subscription by which I have little control over which songs and bands are being played.
    Reply