Google's New Streaming Music Service Is Coming To iOS
May 21, 2013
That was quick. Just days after Google announced its new Android- and Web-based streaming music service, Google Play Music All Access is coming to iOS. However, Google isn't the one doing this. Rather, it is the next version of gMusic that will bring the service to the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad, according to Wired.
First released in December 2011, the popular gMusic app already allows iOS users to play songs updated to Google Music. The update recently submitted to Apple will take this a step further by tapping into Google’s new streaming music catalog.
According to developer James Clancey, this is done through a Web search feature. As he explained to Wired, “I had streaming music playing in gMusic within an hour.”
Wired admits that gMusic’s update isn’t as “slick as Rdio or Spotify’s iOS offerings.” Nonetheless, “gMusic does a great job accessing the All Access library.”
Google Play Music All Access launched last week at Google I/O. The service offers subscribers unlimited music streaming across multiple devices – except on iOS, of course.
Personally, I'm thrilled to hear this news. While I would have preferred that Google had released its own streaming music app for iOS, the gMusic update is a step in the right direction. With Google's 30-day free trial, there is no longer a reason for iOS device owners not to give the new service a spin.
The $1.99 gMusic app (without the update) is available now in the App Store. For more information, see "Google's New Music Streaming Service Is Fantastic Until You Try It On An iOS Device."