Google set to take on Spotify with rival music service

With its annual Google I/O event scheduled to tomorrow, Google is expected to announce a new, subscription-based music service.

First reported by The Verge, sources close to the site say Google has signed licensing deals with both Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment.

Whilst the agreement will see Google load up the rumoured music service with the latest tracks, but would also enable the firm to use such tracks on both YouTube and its Google Play app store.

Google isn’t the only player looking to make a move into the subscription-based music market, which is currently dominated by the likes of Spotify and Rdio, with Apple widely expected to also launch a similar service.

Launched in 2008, Spotify has quickly become one of the most popular music streaming services in the world, boasting over 20 million users and available in multiple countries around the world.

Of these 20 million users, five million opt to pay for the service’s premium subscription fee of £9.99 per month, which provides unlimited access to the service’s music portfolio.

Unlike Spotify, Google’s rival service is rumoured to skip a tiered subscription system, instead maintaining a flat cost of around $10 for any user wishing to subscribe to the service.