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Google is devoloping digital music service and they are planning their digital music service with iTunes…

If the rumors are true, things could get very intense between the two tech giants this holiday season. Reuters reports that Google is planning to launch both a music download store to rival Apple’s iTunes and a digital song locker for users who want to play their songs wherever they ago. According to sources close to the matter, Google has already been meeting with major music labels to discuss the new service and would want it up and running by just in time for Christmas.

Apple’s iTunes was the kick-start to sales of digital music, dominating the market every year since it’s launch in 2003, and currently accounts for 70 percent of all sales in the U.S. However, “Google Music” is just the latest battle in this clash of the tech titans as the two rivals are likely to go head-to-head in a number of areas including mobile phones, online TV and movies, tablet computers, softwareand advertising.

But according to industry watchers, the next battlefield for music will be in the clouds, as consumers desire greater access to their music libraries wherever they go. Last December, Apple acquired cloud-based music company LaLa Media, leading industry observers to expect a launch of a similar service at Apple’s September 1 Keynote. As it turns out, Apple instead unveiled an updated version of  iTunes and an underwhelming social music network called Ping. (Actually, I may have used the word “suckfest” to describe it.)

Google has yet to sign any deals, or even officially confirm meetings are happening in the first place, but music labels are already looking forward to the prospect of an alternative to Apple — especially one who may not have the same “my way or the highway” attitude.

While Google’s position in the digital music market is still unknown, one sector where the company is currently gaining ground in: mobile phones. In recent months, phones with Google’s Android mobile operating system have seen a surge in popularity, with an estimated 200,000 sold every day, the company reports. With Android matching iPhones and iPods (which use Apple’s iOS technology), Google could soon be challenging Apple in the mobile market as well.

Google’s first step into iTunes territory began last year with their launch of a Google music search feature that includes streaming audio previews and music videos among the results. The company has not made any announcements regarding cloud-based services, however, as Reuters points out, Google’s recent purchase of a remote media company called Simplify Media is most likely not a coincidence.

Source :mygloss.com