Google Play Music streaming goes free
If you don't mind listening to ads, you don't have to pay a penny
Google is adding a free radio option to its Google Play Music service.
The radio streaming will available to anyone that use the mobile or web apps, and works in a very similar way to other available free radio services out there – in other words, you’ll have to listen to ads in return for your sweet, sweet free fix of tunes. The new service was built on Google’s acquiring of Songza about a year ago, and Google says that the ex-Songza team will be “crafting each station song-by-song”.
The free radio option is launching first in the US, where the full Google Music Play service remains at US$9.99 a month. The paid option (which is £9.99 a month in the UK) allows full access to Google Play’s 30 million songs, which can be streamed online or downloaded for offline listening. There’s also a 60-day free trial period.
It’s timely for Google to launch this now, as Apple Music – which includes a radio service – is yet to arrive. There are limitations, though: no more than six song skips a day; no rewinding; no scrubbing through songs; and no seeing what’s coming up next. If you want full control you’ll just have to fork out that subscription fee.
[Source: Official Android blog]