Google Music Update: Don't Get Too Excited

As information from a variety of media and private sources coalesces into something closer to facts, it's become apparent that Google's new music service, while a nice upgrade to music search, is not the big news that the media - as it does with most things Google - is making it out to be.

The new features, which will be formally announced next Wednesday, simply adds single song streaming and a buy function to music searches on Google. The single song streaming and purchase function is powered by both MySpace owned iLike and LaLa; though other services like iTunes and Amazon are rumored to be on deck for later inclusionl.

What Google Music Is NOT

Google's new music service is NOT a full download sales site like Amazon or iTunes. It is also NOT a streaming service like Spotify, Pandora or Rhapsody. Think of this announcement as just another a new feature, and just like Google's current music search features that, for example, sometimes adds a photo to searches, it will take time before it trickles down to include many indie and d.i.y. artists.