Google To Debut Music Search Service

In a move to bolster its search engine features, Google is about to shake up the music streaming and download ‘biz. The search behemoth intends to launch a music service that would give users the opportunity to buy songs or listen to the tracks for free on its main results page, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.

Music services Lala and iLike will provide the song previews and sales.

The music service is being called One Box (that could possibly change), which is positioned at the top of a results page. The music pages will feature artwork, news, video and song previews from a particular artist. The One Box venture should be officially announced next week.

The move sets up Google to shimmy up to the digital music bar alongside Apple’s iTunes. If you already utilize Google to search for your favorite artist, the prospect of extending that user experience into song previews and potential buying will soon be a Google reality.

The big four record labels (Warner Music, EMI, Sony Music and Universal) – behind this endeavor from day one – have licensed their catalogs for Google’s music service. The indie labels are expected to be part of the music service as well.

The Journal said revenue from sales would be split between the music services and the record labels.

According to Reuters:

The labels are betting that by making it easier to search for music, they can increase the size of the digital market, which is currently dominated by iTunes, with about 70 percent of download sales.

With technology we have the opportunity to ‘search’ for as much music news and information we can swig; here is where Google takes this process and bumps it up a notch via their powerful, search engine platform.

No doubt the team behind Microsoft’s Bing search engine and the iTunes gang will keep a close watch on Google’s digital music venture.

The search technology provided by Google – and its corresponding lofty position in the search market – could very well clear out some valuable space for the mega company in the digital music sector. Could a digital music showdown with iTunes be on the horizon?

What do you think about Google’s new music service?