Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Google Takes Clue From Robertsons' MP3Tunes, Planning Music Locker
Mountain View-based Google appears to be taking a clue from San Diego entrepreneur Michael Robertson, the former founder of MP3.com, and has proposed a "digital locker" for online music. According to a report from Billboard, Google's plan would allow users to stream music from an online digital locker. One of Robertson's many ventures is MP3Tunes, an online site which allows users to buy, store, and stream music to PCs, Android phones, the iPhone, and other devices. Google is reportedly looking to charge around $25 a year for the service.
MP3Tunes offers free accounts, with a 50GB premium account for $39.95 per year. It's unclear where the proposal is now, however, it would have to overcome a tendency of music labels to discourage digital sharing. Robertson's MP3Tunes is currently in a legal fight with EMI over its music locker service.
If confirmed, the service wouldn't be the first at Google inspired by -- just a few weeks ago, Google rolled out free, Voice-over-IP phone calls on Gmail, in part based on technology developed by Robertson's team at San Diego-based Gizmo5. Gizmo5, which offered free, SIP-based voice-over-IP phone calling services, was acquired by Google in November of last year.