Google merges Android Market, Google Music and the Google eBookstore

Mar 7, 2012 06:50 GMT  ·  By

Google has just announced the availability of Google Play, a new destination for all Android users to find applications, books, music and movies on the web or on their tablet or mobile phone.

Google Play is a cloud-based service, which means that all of the above are stored online, so that users could access them at all time, regardless of their location.

Basically, Google has put together services that were already available for its Android users and has renamed them as Google Play.

The Android Market, Google Music and the Google eBookstore are now integrated into Google Play. In the coming days, the Android Market on devices will be upgraded to Google Play store app to reflect the change.

Through the new destination, users will be able to:

- Store up to 20,000 songs for free and buy millions of new tracks - Download more than 450,000 Android apps and games - Browse the world’s largest selection of eBooks - Rent thousands of your favorite movies, including new releases and HD titles

Starting today, Android users interested in Google’s videos, books and music apps will find them available for download as Google Play Movies, Google Play Books and Google Play Music apps. All purchases and downloads will be made via Google Play.

“To celebrate, we’ll be offering a different album, book, video rental and Android app at a special price each day for the next week in our “7 Days to Play” sale,” Jamie Rosenberg, director of digital content, Google, notes.

“In the U.S., today’s titles include the collection of top 40 hits Now That's What I Call Music 41, the popular game Where's My Water, the novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and the movie Puncture for just 25 cents each.

“In addition, you'll find great collections of hip-hop, rock and country albums for $3.99 all week, detective novels from $2.99, some of our editorial team's favorite movies from 99 cents, and our favorite apps from 49 cents.”

Users in the US will be able to access music, movies, books and Android apps through Google Play, but not all of them will be available for users around the world.

In Canada and the U.K., people will receive access to movies, books and Android apps. In Australia, they will enjoy only books and apps, while being able to access movies and apps when in Japan.

Users in other countries will benefit only from access to Android apps via Google Play. However, the Internet giant plans on making all the content available for as many users around the world as possible.