Google is working with iLike and Lala in order to deliver the new music service. The official release is scheduled for next Wednesday during a Hollywood event hosted by Lala and iLike called “Discover Music!”. Besides iLike and Lala there are “others” hosting it too. That’s right, you guessed it, Google seems to be one of those lucky others.
There are no precise details about Google Audio at this point as it looks like the new service has been kept secret quite successfully. Rumors say that Google Audio will let you search for your favorite songs and then stream them directly from Google. That’s where iLike and Lala will play their role apparently. Google will offer additional information concerning music queries which means you’re probably going to get a lot of extra stuff about your favorite songs and bands. And yes, music downloads will be available as long as you pay the price.
So who is iLike and Lala and why did Google join forces with them? iLike has been acquired by MySpace and it used to offer limited streaming services. It has some full streaming support and it offers 30 second clips. We expect MySpace Music to play an important part in this venture particularly because it has full streaming rights from the four major music labels. Lala will also stream music to you. The company lets you stream a song once and then you have to pay to get the same song again.
So what do you have to say about this Google, iLike, Lala and MySpace initiative? Are you going to ignore iTunes in favor of Google Audio? What music streaming services do you currently use and why? As you can see we have quite a few questions for you. Hit us up in comments and share your vision on streaming music services!
