Google Music Store Chases Apple’s ITunes
Google Inc. (GOOG) is entering the online music market almost a decade too late to pose a threat to Apple Inc. (AAPL), the largest seller of songs on the Web.
The service, scheduled to be unveiled at a Google event in Los Angelestoday, will let users store songs online and listen to tracks on multiple devices, people familiar with the matter said. Apple opened the iTunes store in 2003 and made popular the legal downloading of music from the Internet.
Google’s new challenge to Apple escalates the rivalry between the two companies, already locked in a fight for smartphone users and mobile-advertising customers. The Internet- search giant also faces budding competition from Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN), which has bolstered its music-download and storage service, and Spotify Ltd., whose partnership with Facebook Inc. has buoyed U.S. membership this year.
“They’re coming into this market rather late in the game, where there are large, established players,” said Ray Valdes, an analyst at Gartner Inc. in San Jose, California. “You can say it’s a saturated market.”
Google, the owner of the biggest Internet search engine, has expanded into music, television and movies to bolster sales of devices running its Android mobile software. The company, based in Mountain View, California, is also seeking rights for its Google+ social-network users to share music with each other, people familiar said.
Randall Sarafa, a spokesman for Google, declined to comment.
Sony, Vivendi, EMI
On the eve of the debut, Google reached an agreement with Sony Corp. (6758)’s music unit, a person with knowledge of the situation said yesterday. Vivendi SA (VIV)’s Universal Music Group and EMI Group Ltd. have already signed on, said two people with knowledge of the plans, who weren’t authorized to speak publicly. Songs will cost 99 cents to $1.29, though Google may offer discounts, said one person.
Warner Music Group hadn’t yet reached an accord with Google because of pricing and piracy concerns, two people familiar with the matter said earlier this week.
Apple first unveiled its iPod music player in 2001, and in 2003 started the iTunes music store, offering songs for 99 cents apiece. The company, which makes its own hardware and the software that runs it, has benefited in the past decade as consumers shifted from CDs to online music services. Apple’s iTunes service works on its own devices, such as the iPod, iPhone and iPad tablet, as well as personal computers from other manufacturers.
Android Versus IPhone
Google fights back in the smartphone market by letting multiple phonemakers customize the Android system. T-Mobile USA Inc. introduced the first phone powered by Android software, made by HTC Corp., in October 2008, more than a year after Apple’s iPhone debuted.
Android garnered 53 percent of the global smartphone industry in the third quarter, making it No. 1, according to Gartner. Apple’s iPhone software had 15 percent.
Still, Google may have a harder time narrowing Apple’s music lead, given the longer head start and how established iTunes has become. ITunes customers have downloaded 16 billion songs, and the store had $1.5 billion in revenue in Apple’s most recent quarter.
“They have to overcome the No. 1 incumbent in this area,” said Mark Little, an analyst at research firm Ovum in London. “That’s not an easy company to grab share from.”
Amazon, Spotify
Amazon.com, the world’s largest online retailer, offers MP3 song downloads from the major labels with a service that began with a public test in 2007. Amazon also unveiled a storage service for users earlier this year.
Music provider Spotify, helped by its partnership with leading social-networking service Facebook, is emerging as another online-music alternative. Since its start in the U.S. in July, Spotify has grown to about 2 million subscribers who pay $5 to $10 per month for a premium service, according to Ken Parks, chief content officer for the London-based company.
Another startup, Rdio Inc., will offer free song streaming without advertising. Users of the free service are granted a limited amount of music each month and access is available only for listening on computers, San Francisco-based Rdio said last month.
The new online store won’t be Google’s first effort in music. Earlier this year, the company rolled out a service that stores song libraries and playlists, and suggests music based on listeners’ collections. That offering lacked the ability to purchase songs directly from Google after some labels stymied the effort, Jamie Rosenberg, director of digital content for Android, said at a conference in May.
Web Reach
Even if it takes a while for Google to secure an agreement with Warner, whose artists includeGreen Day and Madonna, the company’s reach on the Web may help it succeed. Google’s network of websites had the most visitors worldwide in September with 1.1 billion, according to ComScore Inc. Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) sites had 914 million, and Facebook was No. 3 with 770 million.
“I doubt they’ll meet with immediate success,” Valdes said. “If they fail, it will take a while for that to become evident because they have enough presence to make at least slow progress for some time.”
sourceTwitter Etiquette: Must You Follow Back?
Is not following people—and especially not following the people who follow you—a sign of arrogance on Twitter?
That’s what one reader, Jordan Koene, suggested to me in a comment on a recentpost that had nothing to do with Twitter. He wrote, “Jeff's article is almost as arrogant as his twitter profile which follows no one.”
I’m fine with differences of opinion and negative comments regarding posts. (Decoded, the last sentence means, “I’m actually bothered by criticism as much as anyone and probably have a thinner skin than most but accept it comes with the territory.”) Check out the post above and you’ll find plenty of, um, constructive feedback.
But Jordan brings up a point worthy of some debate for both writers and entrepreneurs alike. Must you follow anyone on Twitter?
I set up a Twitter account at the request of a few readers who wanted an easy way to know when I posted new articles. I don’t tweet witty aphorisms or amusing anecdotes or trenchant commentaries because I’m not especially witty, amusing, or trenchant. All my tweets are links to new posts.
And I don’t think my profile is arrogant since I don’t claim to be a guru, or strategist, or leading authority, or unique or passionate. But Jordan is right about one thing: I don’t follow anyone.
Why? There is no right way to use Twitter. It’s just a tool. In my case I don’t hope to build a massive following by targeting power tweeters, using hash tags, retweeting or—heaven forbid—buying followers. I only use Twitter as a way to tell people who, by following, have asked me to tell them when I post new articles. But is it rude not to follow them back?
Even if I wanted to, it’s not practical; anyone who follows thousands or even hundreds of people can’t possibly read everything and probably never intended to. Many people follow others as part of a strategy designed to build a larger following and not to show respect or consideration. (I have a few friends with six-digit followings and they all readily admit they see piling up the followers not just as a business tool but also as a game they like to win.)
Still, I do “follow.” I keep up with a few blogs. I use Google Alerts. I connect in other ways. I don’t follow people on Twitter because I’m happy with the set of tools I’m currently using.
Following people on Twitter may work well for you, and if so, that’s great. The specific tools you use to connect, build relationships, and expand your network are largely irrelevant; what matters is that the tools you use and the ways you use them best serve your needs.
And as for etiquette, automatically or routinely following people back isn’t polite, courteous, or the opposite of arrogance. When you will rarely—if ever—read a person’s tweets, following them only pays lip service to the idea that you care about what they have to say.
What do you think?
source
Tag :
social media,
twitter
Google Plus Pages – Facebook Pages Rival
After an early culling of people who tried to claim “keywords” and brand names on Google +, the search giant has finally rolled out a new face to the facebook copycat with their version of “pages” that aims to give brands a voice on the social network, and allow people to build relationships with local businesses and brands within the framework of Google Plus.
How this will manifest is unclear just yet but it seems that with Google plus the aim will be to build a seamless bridge between “switched-on” companies who will benefit from an easier to reach and communicate channel, this could be in the form of a band on tour or a local furniture shop.
The amount of interaction will depend on the owners of the page but we can see voice and video chat being one simple aspect that could be tapped into with creative uses being developed to help improve or promote brands and companies.
Google’s engineering headman Vic Gundotra states:
“So far Google+ has focused on connecting people with other people, but we want to make sure you can build relationships with all the things you care about – from local businesses to global brands – so today we’re rolling out Google+ Pages worldwide.”
Feedback – Sometime a good thing, though sometimes manipulated, but always worthwhile if constructive.
Loyalty – Giving more and more of your time to listen to your clients promotes loyalty, and as competitors are not getting in the way of your customers the benefits are even more potentially.
A new search option that will connect Google users directly to Google pages:
Using the “+” option as a prefix you will be taken directly to that brands Google + page.
This should help in bringing more people to Gmail services and Google + over time, which let’s face it is vastly superior to Yahoo or MSN in terms of Gmail and ancillary services and products never mind the actual social networking aspect which users can take or leave.
With Google banning the “+” symbol as a valid term in the Boolean search options we can now see why that was implemented.
How to add a Google Plus Page?
Giving a brands page the right to pass information on to you requires the Google + account holder to actually add that page to their circle.
With page shaving a “+1″ button and an “Add to circles” button, it would seem like an obvious like to click the +1 and expect that that had given the page the right to assume you wanted to know more, but currently only the “add to circles” option will give that amount of google love to approve this type of communication from page to Google + user.
I sense that this could be an issue that was given some thought and was deemed that only the later option woudl be sensible given that “+1″ buttons could be abused by simple copying of code to a popular page…..(my point being that you may not realise you are +1′ing a brands page until you start getting a stream of content, so having the only option to allow this being to actually add a brand to your circles should mitigate con artists)…got that?
How to create my own page:
Well you need to go here: Google Plus Pages and see if your Google account is eligible yet…enjoy.
Tag :
google +,
social media
25 Twitter Reactions to Gaddafi’s Capture and Death [PICS]
Nielsen McKinsey company NM Incite analyzed the online reactions for Mashable and discovered that only 4% of Gaddafi tweets expressed negative sentiment. By comparison, when Osama bin Laden died, negative tweets accounted for 11% of the chatter after his death.
- 19% of tweets express a sense of justice for what was considered Gaddafi’s dictatorship over Libya.
- Negativity emerges in 4% of tweets as some Twitter users note that it’s wrong to celebrate death.
- Information sharing, especially around pictures of Gaddafi’s body and confirmation from news sources, comprises 76% of tweets.
What was your reaction to Gaddafi’s capture and death?
Tag :
social media,
twitter
YouTube Goes Professional
Google Inc.'s YouTube is going Hollywood.
The Internet company is finalizing deals with well-known personalities, such as skateboarder Tony Hawk, and major media companies to produce original content for its popular video website, as it seeks to become a next-generation cable provider that oversees dozens of free online "channels" with professional-grade shows, people familiar with the matter said.
YouTube, the world's largest video site, is putting up more than $100 million in cash advances to get some of the content produced, said the people. YouTube will recoup the funds from advertising revenue it sells against the content, later splitting ad revenue with the partners, these people said. YouTube hopes the new channels, which are expected to roll out sometime next year, will draw in big money from advertisers, they said.
So far, Google has reached agreements or is in late-stage talks with parties including pro-skater Mr. Hawk, as well as media companies such as Warner Bros. and News Corp.'s ShineReveille unit, which has been involved in TV shows such as "Ugly Betty," these people said. News Corp. also owns The Wall Street Journal.
Also among the expected YouTube partners: RTL Group's FremantleMedia Ltd., which produces "The X Factor"; BermanBraun, which has produced shows for SyFy and other cable channels; and IAC's Electus, which produced VH1's "Mob Wives."
Additional potential partners include Everyday Health Inc., which produces content with the likes of celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels; Iconic Entertainment LLC, started by former Sundance Channel chief Larry Aidem and former VH1 executive Michael Hirschorn; "CSI" creator Anthony Zuiker; and DECA, which creates online-video content for women.
Verso Entertainment, formed by National Basketball Association player Baron Davis and Cash Warren, may produce content for YouTube related to sports, said a person familiar with the matter. The Wall Street Journal may also produce news content for a YouTube channel, another person familiar with the matter said. Several other partners for the new initiative already create popular content on YouTube, people familiar with the matter said.
A YouTube spokesman said in a statement, "We don't comment on rumor or speculation, but we're always talking to content creators and curators of all kinds about building audiences on YouTube."
With its channels initiative, Google—which has been under pressure to turn YouTube into a profit center since buying the site for $1.6 billion in 2006—is aiming to position the site for the rise of televisions and cable set-top boxes that let people watch online video in their living rooms, said the people familiar with the matter. More people are also watching videos on their smartphones and tablets, pressuring traditional cable and satellite operators to make content available on smaller screens.
YouTube had more than 600 million unique visitors world-wide last month, according to comScore Inc., and it is expected to generate more than $1 billion in net revenue this year, up from more than $500 million last year, according to Citigroup Inc. analyst Mark Mahaney.
Google wants to convince big advertisers that it can create a safe environment to showcase their brands on a global scale, and to divert some of their $60 billion in annual broadcast and cable ad spending to YouTube. Some of Google's competitors privately say they are rooting for the YouTube initiative because it could bring new ad dollars to other Internet companies that show videos.
YouTube has had informal talks with some advertisers about sponsoring the original content, these people said. In some cases, YouTube may allow its partners to sell ads for their channels, said one person familiar with the matter.
Many brand advertisers were previously scared off by the large amount of user-generated, lower quality content on YouTube, said David Cohen, an executive vice president at Universal McCann, a media-buying agency owned by Interpublic Group of Cos. But in recent years, YouTube has accumulated higher-quality video and its new channels strategy "is a clear signal of its commitment to creating immersive and engaging original content," he said.
YouTube also currently gets lower ad rates than Hulu LLC, which is owned by and carries content from Walt Disney Co.'s ABC, Comcast Corp.'s NBCUniversal, and News Corp.'s Fox networks. Hulu charges advertisers $25 or higher to show an ad 1,000 times on its site, Mr. Cohen said, while YouTube can command a fraction of that price for its best content.
But with YouTube's new channels initiative, Mr. Cohen said, "there is nothing preventing YouTube from getting Hulu-type ad rates assuming the final content is as engaging as we anticipate."
The effort doesn't mean YouTube will abandon the way it has made money to date: identifying popular user-generated videos and offering to share ad revenue with the creators. YouTube has 20,000 such content partners.
At the same time that Google invests in programming and upends the way entertainment is created, it has signaled it is willing to pay large sums to license it. People familiar with the matter have said Google has expressed interest in buying Hulu. The companies previously have declined to comment.
Other partners for the new channels initiative include longtime YouTube content producers Machinima Inc., which creates content about videogames and other topics for young men, and Maker Studios, known for comedy videos from personalities such as "KassemG." The channels initiative will pair well-known individuals such as Mr. Hawk with existing YouTube content partners to create new kinds of programming, said a person familiar with the matter.
Some partners will be in charge of producing multiple channels that fit into one of 20 or so categories such as food, comedy, health and news, these people said. YouTube executives are asking partners, who will retain ownership rights over the content, to produce unique shows that don't just mimic those on TV, they said.
Hollywood has been abuzz ever since YouTube began reaching out to potential partners earlier this year with promises of cash advances. YouTube received more than 150 pitches from content creators before settling on a few dozen with which to start, people familiar with the matter said. Most partners will receive hundreds of thousands of dollars or multimillion-dollar deals to produce several hours of content per month, these people said.
Source
The Internet company is finalizing deals with well-known personalities, such as skateboarder Tony Hawk, and major media companies to produce original content for its popular video website, as it seeks to become a next-generation cable provider that oversees dozens of free online "channels" with professional-grade shows, people familiar with the matter said.
YouTube, the world's largest video site, is putting up more than $100 million in cash advances to get some of the content produced, said the people. YouTube will recoup the funds from advertising revenue it sells against the content, later splitting ad revenue with the partners, these people said. YouTube hopes the new channels, which are expected to roll out sometime next year, will draw in big money from advertisers, they said.
So far, Google has reached agreements or is in late-stage talks with parties including pro-skater Mr. Hawk, as well as media companies such as Warner Bros. and News Corp.'s ShineReveille unit, which has been involved in TV shows such as "Ugly Betty," these people said. News Corp. also owns The Wall Street Journal.
Also among the expected YouTube partners: RTL Group's FremantleMedia Ltd., which produces "The X Factor"; BermanBraun, which has produced shows for SyFy and other cable channels; and IAC's Electus, which produced VH1's "Mob Wives."
Additional potential partners include Everyday Health Inc., which produces content with the likes of celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels; Iconic Entertainment LLC, started by former Sundance Channel chief Larry Aidem and former VH1 executive Michael Hirschorn; "CSI" creator Anthony Zuiker; and DECA, which creates online-video content for women.
Verso Entertainment, formed by National Basketball Association player Baron Davis and Cash Warren, may produce content for YouTube related to sports, said a person familiar with the matter. The Wall Street Journal may also produce news content for a YouTube channel, another person familiar with the matter said. Several other partners for the new initiative already create popular content on YouTube, people familiar with the matter said.
A YouTube spokesman said in a statement, "We don't comment on rumor or speculation, but we're always talking to content creators and curators of all kinds about building audiences on YouTube."
With its channels initiative, Google—which has been under pressure to turn YouTube into a profit center since buying the site for $1.6 billion in 2006—is aiming to position the site for the rise of televisions and cable set-top boxes that let people watch online video in their living rooms, said the people familiar with the matter. More people are also watching videos on their smartphones and tablets, pressuring traditional cable and satellite operators to make content available on smaller screens.
YouTube had more than 600 million unique visitors world-wide last month, according to comScore Inc., and it is expected to generate more than $1 billion in net revenue this year, up from more than $500 million last year, according to Citigroup Inc. analyst Mark Mahaney.
Google wants to convince big advertisers that it can create a safe environment to showcase their brands on a global scale, and to divert some of their $60 billion in annual broadcast and cable ad spending to YouTube. Some of Google's competitors privately say they are rooting for the YouTube initiative because it could bring new ad dollars to other Internet companies that show videos.
YouTube has had informal talks with some advertisers about sponsoring the original content, these people said. In some cases, YouTube may allow its partners to sell ads for their channels, said one person familiar with the matter.
Many brand advertisers were previously scared off by the large amount of user-generated, lower quality content on YouTube, said David Cohen, an executive vice president at Universal McCann, a media-buying agency owned by Interpublic Group of Cos. But in recent years, YouTube has accumulated higher-quality video and its new channels strategy "is a clear signal of its commitment to creating immersive and engaging original content," he said.
YouTube also currently gets lower ad rates than Hulu LLC, which is owned by and carries content from Walt Disney Co.'s ABC, Comcast Corp.'s NBCUniversal, and News Corp.'s Fox networks. Hulu charges advertisers $25 or higher to show an ad 1,000 times on its site, Mr. Cohen said, while YouTube can command a fraction of that price for its best content.
But with YouTube's new channels initiative, Mr. Cohen said, "there is nothing preventing YouTube from getting Hulu-type ad rates assuming the final content is as engaging as we anticipate."
The effort doesn't mean YouTube will abandon the way it has made money to date: identifying popular user-generated videos and offering to share ad revenue with the creators. YouTube has 20,000 such content partners.
At the same time that Google invests in programming and upends the way entertainment is created, it has signaled it is willing to pay large sums to license it. People familiar with the matter have said Google has expressed interest in buying Hulu. The companies previously have declined to comment.
Other partners for the new channels initiative include longtime YouTube content producers Machinima Inc., which creates content about videogames and other topics for young men, and Maker Studios, known for comedy videos from personalities such as "KassemG." The channels initiative will pair well-known individuals such as Mr. Hawk with existing YouTube content partners to create new kinds of programming, said a person familiar with the matter.
Some partners will be in charge of producing multiple channels that fit into one of 20 or so categories such as food, comedy, health and news, these people said. YouTube executives are asking partners, who will retain ownership rights over the content, to produce unique shows that don't just mimic those on TV, they said.
Hollywood has been abuzz ever since YouTube began reaching out to potential partners earlier this year with promises of cash advances. YouTube received more than 150 pitches from content creators before settling on a few dozen with which to start, people familiar with the matter said. Most partners will receive hundreds of thousands of dollars or multimillion-dollar deals to produce several hours of content per month, these people said.
Source
Tag :
social media,
youtube
