Google can’t seem to get the hang of selling music and movies over
the Internet–a goal that has similarly befuddled Microsoft, AOL, Yahoo,
and others.
Google TV was dead on arrival. YouTube’s video-rental service is at best
an also-ran, and that service also faces a possible exodus of major
record labels to rival Facebook sometime next year. Google Music no
longer exists as a standalone service. Last week, the search company
folded the three-month-old music store into the newly revamped Android Market.
Google’s misfires illustrate just how hard it is to become a major media
player. A titan in the search category, Google is just one of many Web
companies scrambling to cut deals with movie studios and music labels.
Google’s goals are clear: The company wants Android, Google’s widely
adopted operating system for handhelds, to become the premiere force in
mobile. Google has also sought to offer entertainment on par with
Apple’s iTunes, which has generated billions from the sales of music and
movies.
The reasons that Google has struggled to make up ground on Apple are
varied and include increased competition among those selling movies and
music online.
