First it was a simple search of websites. Then another. And another. Years later, we've seen Google lash out more services such as YouTube, Google Maps, GMail, Google Earth, and a whole lot more. One would seem to think that the Big G has this big plan of entering every possible sector there in the Internet marketplace.
Today, Google also plans to enter the audio market with its new offering, which, for now, is called Google Audio. Right now details are still vague as to what kind of music service is Google actually planning to put out. It may be an audio streaming service like, perhaps, Last.FM, or it may be a downloads service like iTunes.
Whatever it is, I have this gut feeling that it has the potential to be a game changer, much like Google's current struggle with Amazon in the ebook business. Will Google also try to index all music on earth for free? That is improbable, because most music are copyrighted, but we'll see what will happen in the long run. Music stores like iTunes should watch out.
In truth, this is not the first time that Google will be entering the music search sector, since you can already search music using the "music:" keyword in the standard Google search bar. Also, I guess I won't be the first to admit that I use YouTube to listen to music that I want without paying any fees. Why do I have to pay iTunes when I can listen to music for free? Only the most addicted-to-music people who cannot wait for their favorite songs to come in YouTube are willing to pay.
According to TechCrunch.com, the service will be initially available for the US market only, so I guess we won't see the service here in the Philippines for a long time.
