Apple's iTunes is the biggest force in music retailing today. The company represents roughly 70 percent of all legally downloaded tunes and 28 percent of all music sold, regardless of the delivery format. It has gone head-to-head with Amazon, Best Buy and Wal-Mart and won.
Now, a rumored new player to the music business believes that it can give Apple a run for its money. Google, the internet giant and perhaps the company most likely to give Apple's iPhone serious competition, may offer music via wireless downloads or streaming services. Reports suggest that Google Music (a name discovered by TechCrunch) may be ready to go live this fall.
According to CNET, an integral element of Google's plan is likely to be the recently acquired Simplify Media. The cloud-based service allows Mac and PC users to stream songs from their iTunes or other libraries to other web-enabled devices such as smart phones. Google plans to incorporate Simplify's technology into future versions of its Android operating system.
Expectations are that Apple will move to a cloud computing platform at some point. The company's acquisition of Lala (later closed down) was thought at one point to be a move to provide a streaming version of its iTunes service.
Discussion Question: What do you think about the prospects of a Google music service and the implications for Apple and others in the business?