Google Play Music All Access coming to iOS ‘in a few weeks’

Posted on 30/05/2013 by Sarah Silbert

Sundar Pichai just dropped some pretty big news onstage at D11: Google's Play Music All Access app will be coming to iOS in the following weeks. When the streaming service debuted at I/O, we found it curious that an Apple-compatible version was missing, especially considering that Mountain View is quite generous in sharing its cloud services with folks on Cupertino's platform. Speaking with Walt Mossberg today, Pichai -- SVP of Android, Chrome and Apps at Google -- said Mountain View's goal is to be "universally accessible," noting that "when there's a mass of users, we invest in more platforms." Of course, that cross-platform love doesn't extend much to Windows Phone, which has tangled horns with Google over the lack of an official YouTube app. That's it for now; we'll be sure to clue you in when the iOS app gets a formal release date.

Filed under: Software, Apple, Google

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Editorial: Google confuses magic with middling as it steps into music streaming

Posted on 20/05/2013 by Brad Hill

First of all: that name. Google Play Music All Access. Perhaps Google's presenters realized, as they were driving to the I/O keynote, that they had forgotten to name the new music-streaming service, and came up with that clunker backstage.

Unique? Magical? It's easy to dismiss those claims within minutes of signing up.

Jump to the keynote, where Chris Yerga described All Access as "a uniquely Google approach to a subscription service," and remarked, "Here's where the magic starts." Unique? Magical? It's easy to dismiss those claims within minutes of signing up. Prosaic and useful, yes; unique and magical, no. All Access is nowhere near an innovation. The major ecosystem companies, each of which started with groundbreaking technical development, now seem to fashion their business destinies on buttressing their networks with products innovated elsewhere, plugging holes to sway existing users from drifting out of the system. It's not a new story, but always a sad one.

Filed under: Misc, Internet, Software, Google

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Google launches All Access music-streaming service in the US: $9.99 monthly fee

Posted on 15/05/2013 by Sarah Silbert

And now, one of the most anticipated I/O announcements. As rumored, Google has been working toward the launch of its own music-streaming service, and the official unveiling came today. Dubbed Google Play Music All Access, the product has a strong focus on personalized recommendations via the so-called Explore feature. Like Spotify and other services, All Access will let you start a radio station while listening to a particular track, and in-depth tweaking controls allow you to nix songs that don't suit your fancy. Another feature demoed onstage is Listen Now, which highlights new releases and content Google thinks you'll enjoy.

As anticipated, All Access will require a monthly fee. A subscription costs $9.99 in the US, and all users will get a 30-day free trial. The service is launching stateside today, and if you sign up before June 30th, you'll get $2 off the monthly fee. We'll be taking All Access for a test drive as soon as possible -- check back for our initial impressions.

Gallery: Google I/O 2013: Google Play Music All Access