Google in talks with record labels for MP3 store

Google is now in negotiations with major record labels to expand its music service and open an MP3 store that would compete with Apple and Amazon. The New York Times cited "numerous music executives" who said Google is "eager" to open the store in the next several weeks. Quoting the executives, the New York Times said the expanded service and MP3 store would most likely be connected to Google’s cloud-based music service "Music Beta," which lets people back up their songs on remote servers and stream them to mobile phones and other devices. It was unclear if Google could close the deals with labels and music publishers in time to open a full-service store, however. The report said a Google spokeswoman declined to comment, and the labels also had no official comment about Google’s plans. Apple Inc. is expected to have its latest cloud music program, iTunes Match, operational by the end of October. The New York Times said Google's earlier negotiations with music companies for a so-called smart locker service broke down over financial terms. Music companies also complained Google may not be doing enough to thwart piracy. “We want to make sure the locker doesn’t become a bastion of piracy," The New York Times quoted one senior label executive as saying. Google opened a scaled-down version of Music Beta in May due to its failure to get special licenses from music copyright holders, even as Google executives publicly criticized the labels for blocking the deals. Amazon, Apple Music Beta was announced five weeks after Amazon opened a similar unlicensed service, Cloud Drive. On the other hand, Apple got licenses for iTunes Match, which will instantly link a user’s songs to Apple’s master collection. With an unlicensed service, users must upload each song individually, a process that can take hours or even days. — TJD, GMA News