Google is preparing to launch a music store in the coming weeks

Google Music Store, the first specific information about which appeared in the New York Times a week and a half ago, can be launched in the next two weeks. This time about it writes Wall Street Journal.

The new store will be integrated with the Google+ project. Google Music users, as the service is tentatively called, will be able to recommend songs from the online library to their contacts on the social network, which in turn will be allowed to listen to these songs once for free. Then the songs will be available for purchase as MP3 files, probably for the standard 99 cents each.

According to the WSJ, Google intends to launch the service on this or next week, even though it has not yet been able to reach an agreement with two of the four largest labels.
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WSJ notes that launching a music service without all four labels can be risky. Users can quickly become frustrated if they cannot find the artist or song they want. For example, the iTunes Store in 2003 and Spotify this year were launched only when they were able to negotiate with the entire big four.

As of last week, the EMI Group was the only label that was ready to sign an agreement on time. Universal Music Group negotiated with Google, but it is unclear whether they will have time to reach an agreement before launching the service.

Two indie labels were also close to making agreements.

At the same time, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group are unlikely to agree with Google on time. The leaders of these two labels made numerous comments to Google.

Sony believes that Google is not sufficiently fighting piracy on its sites and services, including YouTube and Android. The label fears that the launch of a music service will become a tacit approval of piracy, since it will work equally with pirated and acquired songs.

In Warner, Google’s proposal is simply unprofitable. Google Music Storage is free and does not generate revenue for record companies. Apple, for example, is going to charge $ 25 a year for using iTunes Match, sharing revenues with labels. But Google executives are trying to convince record companies that the service will generate enough revenue from the sales of the songs themselves.