MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA (Hypebot) – The invite I got last week from Google was only thinly disguised. Clearly a major music announcement is coming on Wednesday. But Google has disappointed me before with less than stellar music launches. According to CNet, they're about to do it again with a Google Music expansion that doesn't include music from Sony or WMG. Universal is definitely a part of the launch, but even EMI's involvement is unclear.
The animosity between Google and the major labels runs deep, with rights holders complaining that Google does not do enough to stem piracy in search and elsewhere. My sources also points to concerns over a limited song sharing feature that Google wants to add to the new service.
On Wednesday, we'll find out how Google plans to compete without a full complement of record labels. I'm rooting for the net giant, but I'm also prepared to be disappointed yet again.
