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Google Music

Google Home forced me to switch to Spotify

GeneralEdward Kiledjian


Tech titans Google and Amazon chose Christmas 2017 to battle it out for your love and money. These smart speakers are designed to quickly provide access to each company's ecosystem and make your life easier. At least that is the promise. 

I am heavily invested in the Google ecosystem and have been for over ten years. In addition to using their free services, I pay for Google Music, storage, have an android phone (so I buy apps), etc. 

I signed up for the free Google Apps service in 2007 (predecessor to GSuite) when each domain was given 100 free user accounts. This was a great way to provide essential internet services to my family for my kiledjian.com domain (emails, calendar, etc.)

The Google home

These devices can answer questions about science, history and everything in between. Most buyers use these smart speakers as intelligent modern voice-controlled boomboxes. 

I have owned a Google home almost from its original release date and picked up a Google home mini for my bedroom. 

In addition to making money from the sale of these devices, companies like Amazon and Google hope to lock users into the ecosystem. Except...

The Google Home and Google's account issues forced me to move from Google Music to Spotify.

The music problem GSuite accounts

With an individual music subscription, I can only stream to a single device at a time. I can't listen to music on my smartphone in the gym while my kids listen to music at home. 

I tried to upgrade to a family account, only to be told by a support agent that GSuite accounts are not eligible. So if I wanted to enable on-demand commercial-free music on my multiple devices, I needed to move to Spotify, which I begrudgingly did.

Rant

There have always been irritants when using Gsuite (Google Apps) accounts with some Google services. Until now, all of my issues have been irritants for me, but have not affected Google, which may be why they have never solved this issue. 

This is a situation where their complacency has cost them subscription dollars (steady recurring income). I know that only a small minority of Google's millions of users are affected by this issue, but I receive a constant flow of complaints from my readers about it. 

This is the issue when dealing with giant faceless internet companies like Google. No matter how annoying some of their actions may be, there is nothing you can do as a customer. Your only option is to pick up and spend your money elsewhere. 

Get 7 months of Microsoft's Grove music service for $10

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

There's a good chance you never heard about Microsoft's very unpopular Grove music streaming service (Apple Music, Google Music, Pandora, Spotify, Deezer, etc.). 

Microsoft is determined to change the fate of this little-known offering by enticing you to subscribe with a fantastic deal: when you buy a single month of service for $US9.99, they give you two 3-month vouchers to share or use yourself. 

If you are a Microsoft fanboy already paying for this service, then you are out of luck, this applies to new subscribers only.

Here is the fine print:

“ Offer valid 6:00 PM PT July 10, 2017 until 12:00 AM PT July 12, 2017 or while supplies last for new Groove members only. Current paying subscribers are ineligible to redeem this offer. Valid in the US only. Sign up for a 30-day Groove Music Pass at $9.99 and we will send you two tokens codes within 30 days, each good for an additional 3 months of music at no charge (for a total of 6 months). Credit card required. Upon completion of the promotional period, membership will be automatically billed as specified at signup unless cancelled. Limit 2 token codes per person. Token codes expire September 4, 2017 and must be redeemed before that date. Token codes may be used by original recipient or transferred to another eligible user. Token codes may only be redeemed once. Cannot redeemed for cash or promo code(s). May not be combinable with other offers. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Microsoft reserves the right to modify or discontinue offers at any time. ”

This is unfortunatly a US only deal. 

You can subscribe here. 

Google Play Music gives you YouTube MusicKey for free

technologyEdward Kiledjian

We've been hearing rumours about a Youtube music subscription and 2 weeks ago, we found out it would be called Youtube MusicKey. Ee knew that Google Play Music subscribers would be given access to the MusicKey service but we didn't know when. Now we see this tweet:

Just one more shot at competitors. This is another feather that differentiates Google's hat and may be the drop that pushes some customers from Spotify to Google Play Music All Access (or Youtube MusicKey). 

Spotify coming to Canada

technologyEdward Kiledjian

Canada always get's the short end of the stick when it comes to online streaming services. We get 5 year old films on Netflixs and music streaming services avoiding us like the plague.

Spotify has been that elusive butterfly but not they announced they will be coming to Canada. We don't have a launch date but you can sign up for a pre-launch investigation. 

Go sign-up now (link)

Google bought Songza

technologyEdward Kiledjian

It seems the rumours we had all heard were true and Google has finally snapped up Songza. Deal details were are not known but media believes the deal is worth 15M$.

Some said this was done to improve Google Play Music All Access service others say it was a jab at Apple's 3B$ acquisition of Beats. 

Google issued a statement calming existing users by confirming that the service will continue as is (for the immediate future).  Unfortunately I'm convinced they will kill the Songza service we know and love moving users to the Google paid monthly service.

goodbye Songza... It was a fantastic ride while it lasted