Google is boosting its drive to become the number one search
engine in China by launching a free music download service.
It has teamed up with a Chinese music download website,
Top100.cn, to launch a
music search engine in China so
that users can download licensed songs for free.
Google plans to sell advertising with the new service, splitting
the revenue with music companies and Top100.cn.
It is Google's first music search service, but it will not be
available to internet users outside China.
It could curb the illegal downloading of music in China. Google
said, "We believe that this partnership will help foster a thriving
and legitimate music business in China by providing music labels
and publishers with a new channel to distribute, promote and
monetise their valuable music content".
Google said that it had no plans to offer the service outside
China.
Despite dominating search engines globally, Google is second in
China to Baidu, the domestic
internet business.
According to Shanghai-based iResearch, Baidu has 63% of the
Chinese search market share, while Google has 26%.
Google aims to become the dominant player in the Chinese
internet market within five years.