Google, MySpace, Facebook make music moves

Internet power players Google, MySpace and Facebook are adopting strategies to better compete in a music industry that is rapidly shifting online.

In separate developments Wednesday, it emerged that Google plans to launch a music search service, MySpace said its music videos will be spread on competing social networks through recent acquisition iLike, and Facebook said it will now allow friends to send each other song-streaming gifts for as little as 10 cents each.

The developments, all of which came with the blessing of the major recording companies, are examples of attempts to reap online revenue as compact disc sales continue to fall.

Google: According to people familiar with the matter, Google next week will launch music search pages that will package images of musicians and bands, album artwork, links to news, lyrics, videos and song previews, along with a way to buy songs on one search results page.

Song previews and sales on Google will be provided by online music retailer Lala and iLike, a music recommendation application bought by News Corp.'s MySpace this month. Song previews will appear in Lala or iLike online music players, and users won't have to navigate away from the search results page. Videos will appear through iLike's player.

Myspace: Meanwhile, MySpace announced yesterday that it is replacing YouTube videos on its iLike music recommendation service, which it bought for $20 million earlier this month, with videos it has licensed on its own.

MySpace Music, a joint venture between MySpace and the four recording companies, benefits most from the deal.

The videos also will have a dedicated MySpace Music Videos page and be featured more prominently on artist pages and in search results on both MySpace and on the Google music search service.

Facebook: Facebook said yesterday that it will now allow friends to send each other 10-cent Web songs to stream online or 90-cent songs in the MP3 format that recipients can download as gifts from online retailer Lala.

The offering will be available by this afternoon, starting with a limited group of Facebook users and spreading gradually.

(Via MSNBC)

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