Google IO: Google to Unveil Streaming Music

After Amazon, Google is next out the gate with a cloud-based music player. The New York Times says the company will unveil a streaming-music service on Tuesday, which will allow customers to upload their music libraries to a “cloud” and then play it from any computer, tablet, or Android phone. The service, called Music Beta, will offer users more storage than Amazon’s service. However, it appears Amazon forced Google’s hand: The Web giant was trying to secure the music labels’ cooperation, so that users could share songs with friends and buy songs on the cloud from Google (rather than having to upload them on their own), but then went ahead without them after Amazon released its player. The service is invitation-only, to start.