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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.

8 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. Proxy anyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sounds like a perfect way for the US to download high quality music with nothing more than a simple proxy.

    1. 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!

  3. Positive Reinforcement by Ahnteis · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So let me get this straight -- massive piracy leads to free, legal downloads? I'm going to start installing p2p clients on every computer I'm asked to fix!

    1. Re:Positive Reinforcement by francium+de+neobie · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Just do it like the bankers - if everyone is a pirate, you're "too big to be prosecuted".

  4. 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.

  5. 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.
  6. Re:New business plan by homesnatch · · Score: 5, Funny

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