SAN FRANCISCO
Google
has said that it has bought Songza, a free online streaming music
service that recommends tunes based on what people might be in the mood
to hear.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but unconfirmed online reports valued the deal at around $15 million.
"We're thrilled to announce that we're becoming part of Google," Songza said on its website.
"We can't think of a better company to join in our quest to provide the perfect soundtrack for everything you do."
Songza
added that no immediate changes were planned for the free service,
other than making it faster, smarter, and "even more fun to use."
MOBILE DEVICES
Songza
suggests playlists based on where people are and what they are doing,
such as starting a day at home; grinding away at an office, or out
exercising.
It has applications tailored for mobile devices powered by Apple or Google-backed Android software.
Songza
features that have resonated with users will be woven into Google Play
Music and YouTube where possible, the California-based technology titan
said in a post at its Google+ social network.
"They've
built a great service which uses contextual expert-curated playlists to
give you the right music at the right time," Google said.
HOTLY CONTESTED
New York-based Songza has been likened to Pandora, which has a leading ad-supported streaming music model.
Google, Amazon and Apple have music services that compete in a market where Pandora and Spotify have found success.
Apple
in May bought Beats Music and Beats Electronics in a deal worth $3
billion to bolster its position in the hotly contested online music
sector.
The move is expected to help the US tech giant — a pioneer in digital music with its wildly popular iTunes platform — ramp up its efforts to counter the successful models of streaming services like Pandora, Spotify and others.
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