Google launches free music download service in China

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 31 Mar 2009 12:28 User comments (11)

Google, in conjunction with over 15 record labels, has announced the launch of a free online music download service that will allow anyone in mainland China to download over 1.1 million tracks for free.

The service has music from Chinese labels, Warner Music Group Corp., EMI Group Ltd., Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music, as well as 14 independent labels and the service will be limited to those using an IP address showing they are in mainland China.

"This is the first really serious attempt to start monetizing online music in China," said Lachie Rutherford, president of Warner Music Asia and regional head of the IFPI.

China has been the poster child for music piracy, with some Chinese music acts admitting to no longer recording because piracy has made the business unprofitable.

Kai-Fu Lee, Google's president for Greater China, says that 84 percent of the Chinese population uses search engines to search for music. "With today's offering, we complete the puzzle and offer a complete set of services that are fully integrated," he added.

China currently has over 300 million Internet users.

<Netflix raises Blu-ray subscription price by 20 percent >Playing music for horses? Pay license fees!

11 user comments

131.3.2009 00:59

gallagher

Send private message to this user

Member

Wow, so if enough Americans pirate music, they will then give it to us free? Legally?

That is motivation to stop piracy . . .

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 31 Mar 2009 @ 1:00

231.3.2009 01:26

stuntman_

Send private message to this user

Member

is there a way to make my ip address look Chinese so I can get the free music?

331.3.2009 02:14

gfactor

Send private message to this user

Newbie

if ya go to google now they actually have a download option for mp4 in the sidebar

431.3.2009 02:18

gfactor

Send private message to this user

Newbie

sorry not google(dam roomates speaking in my ear) i meant youtube

531.3.2009 02:19

wrules

Send private message to this user

Member

Originally posted by stuntman_:
is there a way to make my ip address look Chinese so I can get the free music?

i think there is actually but your internet browsing speed will suffer alot. i know people that have accessed cbs to watch csi from the uk.

631.3.2009 02:36

cousinkix

Inactive

There is definitely software that can re-route your IP through China or any other country. Some people used these programs; when they were blocked from using ISO Hunt not that long ago.

Programs such as Hide IP Platinum do slow things down though.

STUPID Americans subsidize drug research! Corrupt pharmaceutical firms export the same pills to foreign countries, where the prices are much cheaper. So people go to Mexico and Canada to fill their prescriptions. Everything is over the counter in Tijuana's drug stores too.

Now the RIAA wants to do the same thing with copyrighted music. These IDIOTS only encourage piracy with this madness...

731.3.2009 10:34

pphoenix

Inactive

Originally posted by cousinkix:
There is definitely software that can re-route your IP through China or any other country. Some people used these programs; when they were blocked from using ISO Hunt not that long ago.

Programs such as Hide IP Platinum do slow things down though.

STUPID Americans subsidize drug research! Corrupt pharmaceutical firms export the same pills to foreign countries, where the prices are much cheaper. So people go to Mexico and Canada to fill their prescriptions. Everything is over the counter in Tijuana's drug stores too.

Now the RIAA wants to do the same thing with copyrighted music. These IDIOTS only encourage piracy with this madness...

a proxy is what is needed. doesn't Hide IP Platinum just hide your browser?

drug companies, well the problem there is they charge too much, should deciding weather people with aids in Africa die because they can't afford the drugs at the levels set by the US and Euro firms or should they be allowed to make generic medicine to keep people alive?

American government/corporations always seems to care more about profit than human life!

TRADE: U.S.-Central America Deal Could Block Cheap AIDS Drugs

831.3.2009 14:08

kikzm33z

Send private message to this user

Senior Member

Quote:
The service has music from Chinese labels, Warner Music Group Corp.

Wow.
So they're being fags all over YouTube and now they allow free music download in China?

931.3.2009 14:32

beanos66

Send private message to this user

Member

Originally posted by stuntman_:
is there a way to make my ip address look Chinese so I can get the free music?

look for a proxy site and choose one from china

problem is though you will probably need to be able to read chinese. I don't know how succesful babel fish wiil be

101.4.2009 19:41

Morreale

Send private message to this user

Senior Member

Well, that's where Google comes in with their trusty translator :)

1112.4.2009 03:55

brent333

Send private message to this user

Newbie

just try bitcomet or utorrent....yes share engines, but you can get anything you can imagine at no cost. NO we're not "stupid" americans, were a people with an arrogent, incompotent, out of control government......don't tread on me!!

Comments have been disabled for this article.

	YouTube Premium starts showing ads to subscribers (13 Nov 2024 3:09) For years, YouTube Premium has been marketed as a way to enjoy an ad-free YouTube experience. But apparently, that is no longer the case, as Premium subscribers are now starting to see ads on the platform.
	Android 16 will launch sooner than expected (01 Nov 2024 6:45) Google announced that upcoming Android 16 will break the traditional once-a-year cycle of major Android launches. Next Android is poised to launch in Q2 of 2025, so Android 16 should ship before end of June, 2025.
	Winamp ends its "open source" project that wasn't really open source (20 Oct 2024 11:12) Less than a month after the legendary MP3 player Winamp made its source code public, the company has made a sudden U-turn and removed its code from distribution. 2 user comments
	Winamp released its source code - but didn't go open source (25 Sep 2024 12:38) The source code of Winamp has now been officially released. However, it hasn't become a pure open-source project, as its licensing terms prohibit the creation of new, different versions.
	Does your phone rattle? Here's why it happens (25 Aug 2024 8:30) When you shake your phone and hear a light rattle, clatter, or jingle, it's likely not broken. The culprit is probably the optical image stabilization (OIS) system in your phone's camera, meaning everything is functioning as it should. 2 user comments

	Does your phone rattle? Here's why it happens When you shake your phone and hear a light rattle, clatter, or jingle, it's likely not broken. The culprit is probably the optical image stabilization (OIS) system in your phone's camera, meaning everything is functioning as it should. 2 user comments
	GUIDE: Wi-Fi speeds are slow? Here are some tips Having problems with Wi-Fi speed and stability at home? Here are some tips to follow to alleviate the issues. 1 user comment
	Guide: Phone battery drains quickly - how to fix (iPhone / Android) In this guide, we go through the most typical reasons for rapid battery drain with phones, and look at potential reasons or solutions.
	What happens if you don't update Android? Sometimes it can be tempting to avoid updating to a new Android version. What happens if you decide to delay major updates to the OS?
	What IP rating for dust and water resistance means An IP classification (such as IP68) is given to mobile phones, Bluetooth speakers, and other devices, but what do these classifications mean? 1 user comment

Google launches free music download service in China

11 user comments

Latest news

Reviews

Guides

News archive

Subscribe

Sections:

Follow us:

	Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra review - obstacle avoidance doesn't work as it should, otherwise almost perfect robot vacuum We put the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra through a very, very long review process. The $1800 mopping robot vacuum is almost perfect, but its obstacle avoidance was surprisingly bad, considering the price - and compared to its competitors.
	Sharge x OnePlus Pouch review: Beautiful power bank that supports SuperVOOC charging In our review, we take a look at Sharge's power bank that supports OnePlus SuperVOOC quick charging technology as well as standard USB PD charging. It has small design flaws, but despite those, the Pouch is very nice product. 1 user comment
	Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets Roomba Combo j7+ is the very first Roomba model to combine robot vacuum with mopping features. And Roomba Combo j7+ does all that with a very clever trick, which tackles the problem with mopping and carpets. But is it any good? We found out.