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Google Launches Free, Legal Music Downloads in China

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the still-the-underdog-somewhere dept.

Wired is reporting that Google has a launched a new music download service in China to better compete with the leading search company there, Baidu.com. Offering some 350,000 songs, a number set to rise to somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.1 million in the coming months, the library includes both Chinese and foreign artists signed by Sony Music, EMI, and Universal Music. Proponents of the new service are also hoping it will combat illegal music downloads simply by offering higher quality songs for download. There are no immediate plans to expand this service beyond China.

17 of 141 comments (clear)

  1. Legal? and in....China? by pilgrim23 · · Score: 5, Funny

    hummm that does seem a somewhat...DIFFERENT business model...

    --
    - Minutus cantorum, minutus balorum, minutus carborata descendum pantorum.
  2. Link? by MrEricSir · · Score: 4, Funny

    Someone have a link to this so I can start the downloading?

    Or do I need a Chinese proxy first?

    --
    There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
    1. Re:Link? by ByOhTek · · Score: 4, Funny

      Shall we call it Chinese Roulette instead of Russian Roulette?

      --
      Self proclaimed typo king, and inventor of the bear destroying coffee table (patent not pending).
    2. Re:Link? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      I can read just enough Chinese to know which is the download link, but what songs I get is the luck of the draw.

      Shall we call it Chinese Roulette instead of Russian Roulette?

      They're not that dissimilar; if you inadvertantly download "The Free Tibet Song", then the owner of the proxy gets a bullet through the head.

    3. Re:Link? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      How about two cats, a dog, a Radio Flyer wagon, some strings and paper cups, will that work instead?

  3. So... by whisper_jeff · · Score: 3, Funny

    So, the key is to pirate songs so much that the labels have no choice but to offer legal, high quality downloads for free. Ok. Not what I expected but I'm willing to do my part...

  4. Re:Proxy anyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    And to think, all this time, they've been trying to get outside of the firewall. Now we want in!

  5. Re:Give it away, Give it away, Give it away now... by Samschnooks · · Score: 3, Funny
    Exactly! As a matter of fact, put all your CDs, DVDs, and other copyrighted material on-line for free and advertise it. That's the best way to break the system.

    Stick it to the man!

  6. Re:How do you compete with free? by InsertWittyNameHere · · Score: 5, Funny

    I agree, free and higher quality isn't enough. The music sounds better knowing that you've obtained it illegally. Just like how food tastes better knowing that you'll be dining and dashing. It's the adrenaline rush that males all the difference.

  7. Re:New business plan by Camann · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's better than what they had before: 1.??? 2.??? 3.???

    --
    I can't believe you don't know what a Hasemalphaginnojinglanaporphomism is.
  8. Re:New business plan by homesnatch · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sure, they lose money on every sale, but they'll make it up in volume!

  9. Re:Proxy anyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Surprisingly, it sounds a lot like "blonde slut" once translated.

  10. Re:New business plan by Yvan256 · · Score: 2, Funny

    "You heard the man. Now crank it up to eleven!" - Google

  11. Re:Proxy anyone? by KiloByte · · Score: 3, Funny

    These are right in the Unicode database.

    apt-get install unicode-data
    zgrep 'kDefinition.*blonde' /usr/share/unicode/Unihan.txt.bz2
    zgrep 'kDefinition.*slut' /usr/share/unicode/Unihan.txt.bz2

    The fun thing is, it's easier to search by meaning than by pronouciation or by how the character looks...

    --
    The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
  12. we have both kinds, country AND western! by commodoresloat · · Score: 3, Funny

    the library includes both Chinese and foreign artists

    But ... but ... but Chinese artists ARE foreign!!

  13. Re:Here's an Idea: by pwfffff · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yes, folks, it really is smug replies all the way down. Even this one! Morons.

  14. Re:Get Inside! by TaoPhoenix · · Score: 2, Funny

    Wait, what about Asymmetrical Torrents?

    They download music, they upload forbidden news blogs?

    --
    My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine