Turn it up
Google has started testing its eagerly anticipated Google Music service internally, stoking rumours that the iTunes rival will launch relatively soon.
CNET has reported that music industry insiders told it that Google's employees have started testing out the new cloud music service.
While Google has kept quiet about various rumours, a person on the XDA Developers forum said they had stumbled across a working version of Google Music when they were installing Honeycomb on their Android phone. Apparently industry insiders have confirmed the service works but the final version that goes public could still be different.
While the cloud music-streaming service might be ready to roll on the tech front, it is believed that getting the music is holding back the launch of Google Music.
Google had apparently said it wanted to demo Google Music at South by SouthWest, which has just been and gone and there were rumours that it would be included in the Honeycomb Android rollout.
CNET reported that sources said Google's wrangling with music publishers and the 4 biggest record companies are continuing but the deal is a complex one as Google wants cloud music rights.
It has been reported that Google is after the right to store users' personal music libraries on its servers. The race is apparently on as Bloomberg has recently reported that labels are also in talks with Apple about a cloud proposition.
The deals could take a while to grind out for both Apple and Google as licensing rights for this type of cloud service are brand new and there are no templates to guide the music industry.
However, it now seems pretty certain that Google will finally enter the online music market and go head-to-head with Apple's iTunes.
While early competitors hoping to go up against Apple have gradually mostly fizzled out, it is believed that Google could be a good competitor for the dominant established music store, if not an iTunes killer per se.
No doubt its advertising prowess, trusted brand and YouTube music video success will also help, although there is no clue as to when Google Music will launch.
