Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

September 5, 2008 8:55:27 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Google Tries Free Music in China

Posted Feb 6, 08 4:09 PM CST in World,  Arts & Living,  Technology 

(Newser) – In an effort to compete with search rival Baidu, Google will join with music companies to offer free music downloads in China. The hometown search engine, which has 60% of the local market to Google’s 25%, has long hosted free searches for unlicensed music downloads, and piracy has largely slain China’s entertainment industry. Google’s new service could satisfy music bigwigs and cut into Baidu’s market domination.

The files, which may go live within weeks, will have watermarks that let labels track the use of their songs, which is valuable for advertising purposes, the Wall Street Journal reports; the companies will earn royalties through revenue-share deals. Google’s tunes will be higher quality than those download-able via Baidu, and will feature a package of related search options.

Source Wall Street Journal

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Meet China's First Global Pop Star

    Apr 2, 08 12:45 PM CDT
    China may be storming the world right now, but it’s never had good luck with pop starts. That could change with Sa Dingding, a half-Mongolian singer/songwriter, who sings entirely in Tibetan over a velvety mix of traditional instruments like the zither and modern electronica. Universal’s hoping the whole eclectic, ethnic mix will make her prime iPod material, the Independent reports. More »

  • Chinese Translation Ours, Company Tells Google

    Dec 14, 07 3:24 PM CST
    Chinese Translation Ours, Company Tells Google A Beijing company has sued Google over the search engine’s Chinese name, insisting it registered “Guge” first—and that the Californians should pick a new Far East handle. Beijing Guge Sci-Tech says it claimed the name in April 2006, while its nominal American competition didn’t make its Chinese presence official until November of that year, the AP reports. More »

  • 'American Idol' Most-Watched Show of 2007

    Dec 13, 07 1:06 PM CST
    'American Idol' Most-Watched Show of 2007 Nielsen released its top-10 ratings for everything from TV to consumer goods this week. Once again, "American Idol" was the most-watched regular show, while the Super Bowl drew the most viewers for a single event. Although "Lost" didn't rank among the top 10 shows during its regular airings, it was the number one time-shifted show—a show recorded and watched later. More »

  • Quite Literally, Chinese Aren't Saying 'Google'

    Dec 12, 07 2:43 PM CST
    Quite Literally, Chinese Aren't Saying 'Google' "Google" is a verb in many dictionaries, but the challenge of pronouncing it in Chinese has spelled trouble for the planet’s biggest search engine. "G-O-O-G-L-E is not a normal Chinese spelling and people don't pronounce it right," one Google exec tells Bloomberg of China, where the company holds less than half the market share of leader Baidu. More »

  • China Blocking Users From US Search Engines

    Oct 19, 07 4:05 AM CDT
    China Blocking Users From US Search Engines Chinese searchers trying to visit Google, Yahoo and Microsoft Live Search are being redirected to the Chinese search engine Baidu, according to tech news sources. Speculation has it that the Chinese government is blocking the American engines because officials are angry that the US awarded the Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal this week. More »

A receptionist works behind the logo for Baidu.com, a Chinese language search engine, at the company's office in Beijing, in this July 28, 2005, file photo. Search engine Baidu.com Inc. said Friday, Oct....   (Associated Press)
Google Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt, right, and President of Google Greater China Kai-Fu Lee, left, give a press conference in Beijing China Friday April 27, 2007.Google Inc., No. 2 in China's Web search market,...   (Associated Press)
Chinese walk past the Google offices in Beijing, China Friday April 27, 2007. Google Inc., No. 2 in China's Web search market, is expanding its investment and technology in an effort to make up for its...   (Associated Press)
Workers rest in front of an advertisement of Baidu June 27, 2006 in Shanghai, China. Search engine Baidu.com Inc. said Friday, Oct. 26, 2007, its third-quarter profits more than doubled on strong traffic...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Baidu vs. Google   (wys35 (YouTube))

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 3)

Tags

China  • Google  • music  • illegal downloading  • Baidu


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other Technology Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »