Google Launches Music Service

Google is set to open its own online music store with over 13 million titles available for download from the Android Market.

First unveiled as a beta version back in May, Google Music, which is only available in the US for the time being, has titles from three of the four major labels, EMI, Sony Music and Universal Music.  Madonna fans will no doubt be heartbroken to learn that her label, Warner Music, still hasn't signed a deal.

Social music

Somewhat like the partnership between Spotify and Facebook, users can share their listening across a social network.  Google Music piggybacks on top Google+, allowing fans to share tracks with friends, although your contacts can only listen to a track you recommend once.

Freedom for independents

A more innovative feature is the chance for independent producers to upload their own tracks and choose how much to sell them for.  Tracks from the major labels will cost between $0.60 and $1.29.  They will be available for listening offline, and playlists will be synced between your computer and mobile devices running Android, including smartphones and tablets.

We don't yet know if Google Music is set to become the new iTunes for Android users, but the early signs are promising both for budding artists and online music in general, which is hardly a sector in the best of health.