Successful discussions with record labels, followed by the promise of an excellent cloud based service that can be accessed via Android, makes Google’s impending music service incredibly appealing. With the opportunity to instantly open-up a new market to millions of new users and the desire to expand past Apple’s iron fist, there’s an interest here that can’t be avoided.

Google is currently in discussion with the Harry Fox Agency in order to learn what deals and rights it can get before distributing music. This may lend some credibility that the service could launch by Christmas.

9 to 5 Mac writes:

The music industry is in a strange place.

On the one hand it feels some sense of gratitude that Apple was able to create a popular digital music service, on the other, labels feel Apple has far too much control over their business. As such they broadly support contenders including Google and Amazon.

Music Week writes: “Rumours have been growing in the past few weeks about Google’s music plans, with a suggestion of a download offering launching this year ahead of a streaming subscription service early next year.”

Apple is also presumably in the race to offer a streaming media service to consumers by the end of this year or early next, and it’ll be interesting to see where customers flock to digest the latest in digital media.

[via 9 to 5 Mac]