But is Google Beta than iTunes? Possibly, unless Apple steps up to the mark.
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Music Beta and film player will allow users stream onto Android devices including smartphones and tabs without an internet connection.
The new services, unveiled yesterday at Google I/O developer conference in San Francisco, mean users can now rent films and buy music from its “digital music locker” both operated via the cloud.
The music ‘locker’ will allow 20,000 tracks to be downloaded to its library and in a key difference with iTunes is Beta lets users download from other sources, meaning it is far more open, similar to Amazon’s cloud music player.
Beta ultimately means if you’re sitting at home bored and without a beloved web connection you can still stream moves and music.
Google’s movie library contains more than 3,000 titles and new releases for rental, reports The Guardian.
However, the internet giant has yet to pen any agreements with major music labels which could be stumbling block to getting the service fully functional.
Its head of digital content told US media earlier this week that labels were not “as collaborative” as it would have liked and were “demanding a set of business terms that were unreasonable.”
Currently, iTunes has formidable clout in the digital music market – accounting for around 70 per cent of digital music downloads sold in the US.
And, there are rumbling in the industry that Apple will retaliate with a similar open ended system in its forthcoming upgrade and may send iTunes to cloud, allowing unlimited downloads to iPads, iPhones or Mac’s.
The tech giant is said to be in talks with major record labels like Universal Music, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music to agree a deal that would see users import tunes easily from one device to the other without charge.
This would also hit back at streamers like Pandora and Spotify, who have lured many music lovers away allowing them to listen to music they have not actually paid for.
However, Aussie Droid’s need not get too excited just yet – the new service is limited to the US for the moment as a testing ground.
Initial reports out of the US have already expressed some reservations with Beta, reporting awkward navigation and frustrating download procedure.
Read Google Announces Ice Cream Sandwich For Tablets & Smartphones here