Google, Major Labels Debut Free Music Downloads in China

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 30, 2009 - 10:05am.

Beijing - Google (NASD: GOOG) on Monday launched a free, ad-supported music download service in China, with backing from the four major record labels, Reuters reported. At launch, the service offers around 350,000 songs, a library that will expand to 1.1 million in coming months, Gary Chen, CEO of Top100.cn -- Google's music partner in China -- told Reuters. "This is the first serious attempt to start (monetizing) the online market in China. I can't overestimate how important this is," Lachie Rutherford, president of Warner Music Asia Pacific and Asia chairman of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), told Reuters.

The IFPI claims that piracy accounted for 99% of all music files distributed in China last year.

One of the four major labels, EMI, launched a for-pay music download site in China with Google rival Baidu in 2007.

While Google is the leading search engine in many countries, it currently holds 30% of the Chinese market, compared to Baidu's more than 60%.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123841495337969485.html

http://www.top100.cn