Google launched its All Access subscription-based music service at Google I/O earlier this year, but restricted the app to Android and the web. Now, a Google Play Music app has been released for iOS, and is available to download for your iPhone. The app is free, and you can add up to 20,000 songs from your own music library to Google’s servers. Once you’ve done so, they’re all available to enjoy on your iPhone through the app, in the same way they are on an Android device or on the web.
Of course, the major benefit here is lessening the impact on your device’s internal storage, as everything is stored online. You can create your own radio stations, organized by songs, artists or albums, and there are no skip limits imposed. Google also provides recommendations based on what you already own, and generates playlists for you. The app’s interface is big, friendly, bright, and easy to use.
If you pay for premium access to Google Music, then you open up the world of Google’s 20 million-plus song catalog, and can use them to create more custom radio stations, and stream them onto your phone. However, there’s no option to buy music through the iOS app, as all purchases would have to go through Apple’s iTunes system, which has no doubt put Google off the whole idea.All Access Music is entering a crowded market, already dominated by big names such as Pandora and Spotify, and its late iOS app release even lags behind Microsoft’s Xbox Music.
The app can be downloaded through the iTunes App Store now, provided you live in a country where Music All Access is already offered. These places include America, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico. You can see the entire list here, or follow this link for the app itself.
