“Today we are happy to announce you can buy millions of songs right from Android Market,” Google product manager Paul Joyce said at a press event in Los Angeles.
The Internet search giant synched the music store to its Google Music service, which came out of test mode on Wednesday to become available free of charge to US residents.
Digital songs can be purchased online at the Android Market using computer Web browsers, and Google said the service will be rolled out to Android-powered smartphones and tablet computers in coming days.
“Doing a deal with Google for the sale of our repertoire is groundbreaking on a number of levels,” said Robert Wells, president of global digital business at Universal Music.
“We expect this to be a rich new revenue stream for our artists,” Wells added while joining music industry peers on-stage at the event.
Google signed three of the four major record labels – Universal, EMI, and Sony Music – with the holdout being Warner Music, home to Madonna and other artists.
Coldplay, Shakira, and the Rolling Stones teamed with Google to celebrate the music store launch by making free or exclusive tracks available.This is something Google needed to do if the Android platform is to be taken seriously,” said Gartner Research analyst Michael Gartenberg.
“Music is now table stakes,” he continued. “Google hasn’t really raised the bar here, but you have to start somewhere.”
While Google Music isn’t poised to be a major threat to iTunes, it should act as a lure that adds to Android’s brisk momentum, according to the analyst.
More than 200 million Android mobile gadgets have been activated worldwide, according to Google.
Google early this year added movie rentals to its Android Market offering electronic books and other digital content for devices powered by Android.
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