Google has launched a subscription-based music service that allows users to stream millions of songs in its database as well as upload songs from their personal music library.
The new service was revealed at the company’s annual I/O event for app developers held in San Francisco by Chris Yerga, Google’s engineering director for Android.
According to him, the service can be accessed from any Android-based device.
“This is radio without rules. It’s as ‘leanback’ as you want to, or as interactive as you want to,” Yerga said.
The app allows users to search for music artists as well as add their favourite tracks to their music library. Another unique feature is its “listen now” component, through which a mix of songs by favorite artists can be created from the songs users had listened to before.
Google is offering its subscribers in USA a 30-day free trial, following which they will pay US$9.99 monthly for the service, seen as a major competition to iTunes and Spotify.
Also at the I/O conference, Google announced it had merged its Gmail and Google Plus chats into Hangouts, a cross-platform app that supports text and group video messaging.
With Hangouts, users can send texts and pictures, as well as video message on Android and iOS devices.
According to Vic Gundotra, Google’s senior vice president, engineering, the new app allows users to communicate without creating hindrances.
He said: “Technology should get out of the way so you can live, learn, and love. Operating systems and devices shouldn’t matter. You just want to talk with those you care about. That’s the point of the revamped Hangouts. It brings humans and conversations to the forefront.”
