The rumors swirling around Google and Apple’s pending cloud music services are coming at a fevered pitch. The latest is that Google is talking to Spotify to power its Google Music service in lieu of striking its own music licensing deals, according to CNET.
Now, the Google/Spotify angle is not new. The first whispers of such talks began more than a year ago, when there was speculation that Google was seeking an acquisition of the European streaming music service. Those rumors quieted down after Google focused more on developing its own service — which was designed more as a locker service than a music-subscription service.
But now that Google’s frustrations with the music-licensing process have become more public, the speculation of a Google/Spotify connect has resurfaced. It’s ironic in that both Google and Spotify have had equally difficult times scoring the necessary music licenses to launch a service in the U.S. Spotify has landed two majors (Sony and EMI), while Google, as far as we know, has none.
If Google really wanted to outsource its streaming music features, why not reach out to a service already operational in the U.S. with licensing deals intact? Rhapsody, for instance, is preparing a feature that would scan and match users’ digital music libraries as a sort of hybrid subscription/locker service.
Related stories:
Report: Apple to Beat Google to the Cloud
Rhapsody’s Jon Irwin Talks Progress a Year After Spinning Off From RealNetworks