Chromecast celebrates first birthday with three-month Google Play giveaway

By Alex Tretbar July 24, 2014

good deal buy chromecast get 20 google play credit table — Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s been one year since Google introduced its jack-of-all-trades dongle to the world, and the search giant is celebrating by gifting anyone who purchases a Chromecast within the next two months 90 free days of Google’s All Access service for Google Play Music. In its celebratory press release, Google also gave itself a few pats on the back for Chromecasts success, detailing that, since launching the HDMI-based streaming device, “people have hit the cast button more than 400 million times to enjoy their favorite sports, music, premium movies and TV shows.”

Google ran a similar promotion with the Chromecast’s initial release a year ago when it offered a free three-month subscription to Netflix with each purchase of the $35 device. Demand was so high that Google had to cancel the deal just two days after announcing it. This deal, in a roundabout way, essentially drops the Chromecast’s already incredibly low price-point of $35 to just $5 for those customers who happened to already be planning on shelling out $10 per month for a music service.

All Access probably lacks the household name-recognition that Spotify or even Beats Music currently has, and a recent comparison we made with Pandora, Spotify, and iTunes Radio revealed some room for improvement – especially with Google’s algorithm. But if you’re already in the market for a Chromecast, or possibly looking to double up for a bedroom TV, today’s deal makes purchasing the already bottom-barrel streaming device all the more compelling.

Be sure to read up on the ins and outs of the promotion before committing.

[image: Robert Fruehauf/Shutterstock]

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Alex Tretbar, audio/video intern, is a writer, editor, musician, gamer and sci-fi nerd raised on EverQuest and Magic: The…

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