UK based music lovers were given another way to access a huge library of on demand music last week, with the launch of Google’s new Music All Access service. Up until now the space has been dominated by popular streaming service Spotify, having racked up over 20 million users to date through a combination of their paid subscription and free advertising subsidised versions of the platform.
On the face of it Google’s new service seems to shape up very similarly to Spotify’s, with both boasting an extensive library of songs accessible from both desktops and mobile, though neither of which contain any of The Beatles’ back catalogue – an area of frustration for some of Jungle Media’s more “vintage” team members! Google have also chosen to opt for a very similar price point to Spotify’s subscription service – £9.99 per month – though the search giant will be hoping their launch offer of a reduced fee of £7.99 along with the first month for free, will help them gather the momentum they need to establish a healthy user base of early adopters.
However, where things start to get really interesting is in the battleground for mobile supremacy, through what Google’s Paul Joyce describes as the move to make Google Play (Google’s download store where Music All Access will reside) “your ultimate digital entertainment destination”.
With Smartphones already the first choice for internet access amongst 15 to 25 year olds, this latest innovation from Google places even more power in the palm of this mobile user group. Google Music is shipped with most Android phones these days and is the default player on many Nexus devices. The app’s ability to connect seamlessly to users’ Music All Access subscription and Google Music cloud account creates an extremely strong on-the-go experience sure to appeal to mobile music fans.
Google have clearly invested a lot of time and money in creating a super-slick mobile app that delivers a much more satisfying experience than its Spotify equivalent, signalling that this is where they see significant inroads being made. And it’s this move that brings into focus just how important it is these days for organisations to get their mobile web presence right.
Here at Jungle Media we were recently surprised to discover that 95% of websites out there are still not Smartphone responsive, which can be a serious turn-off for the ever increasing amounts of people and potential clients accessing the internet on the move. Fortunately this is an area where we’re currently helping to make a huge difference for our clients, updating their web presence to deliver a smooth experience for visitors arriving via Smartphone who increasingly expect a modern, easy access interface at their fingertips.
With innovations such as Google’s Music All Access driving more and more mobile usage, for organisations looking to keep pace with user expectations, Smartphone optimisation for websites is essential.
