Eine kostenfreie Radiovariante à la Pandora und co. ergibt für On-Demand-Streaming-Anbieter als Zusatzoption viel Sinn. Spotify hat es, andere auch. Jetzt auch Google. Google schaltet außerdem keine Werbung, nimmt also Verluste hin, um Marktanteile aufzubauen. Vorerst US-only. Auch das Timing ist interessant.
Google today announced that it's adding a free tier to its Google Music subscription service, just a week ahead of the launch of Apple Music. Apple Music doesn't include a free listening tier, but it is accompanied by a free ad-supported radio service that provides users with a way to access music without shelling out cash.
Google's free listening tier is built around Songza, the radio-based streaming service that Google purchased last July. It includes curated radio stations and playlists, which Google describes as human-curated and crafted "song by song" for moods and activities like working out or driving. It's currently available in the United States and rolling out to Android and iOS devices this week.