Google Music Search
October 31, 2009 5:21 PM Subscribe
Google Music search is now live - powered by Lala and Ilike. Also provided are supplemental links to relevant Rhapsody and Pandora pages. Some are are not impressed with the search feature. Related: Lala's streaming iphone app is awaiting Apple's approval.
A search for "Lady Gaga" on Google Music search vs. regular Google.
Why even bother with a special page?
posted by aheckler at 5:36 PM on October 31, 2009 [5 favorites]
Why even bother with a special page?
posted by aheckler at 5:36 PM on October 31, 2009 [5 favorites]
If it's a music search engine then why does a search for The Blue Nile return hundreds of links to the diamond outlet and the river?
posted by docpops at 5:42 PM on October 31, 2009
posted by docpops at 5:42 PM on October 31, 2009
A search for "Lady Gaga" on Google Music search vs. regular Google.
vs. fleetmouse google
posted by fleetmouse at 6:01 PM on October 31, 2009
vs. fleetmouse google
posted by fleetmouse at 6:01 PM on October 31, 2009
I did notice that "I kissed a girl" only returned Katy Perry results as if the Jill Sobule version didn't exist. Only when you add her name do you get the good version of the song.
posted by birdherder at 6:12 PM on October 31, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by birdherder at 6:12 PM on October 31, 2009 [3 favorites]
My only gripe is that the music results open in a pop-up instead of playing inline. They couldn't cook up a simple Flash player that could appear when you click the "play" button?
posted by Rhaomi at 6:13 PM on October 31, 2009
posted by Rhaomi at 6:13 PM on October 31, 2009
e.g., Lady Gaga, eh? Now, how cool would it have been if the folks at Google had put the name of some really obscure but worthy-of-more-recognition musician* there in the e.g. slot instead?
* like say, me
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:16 PM on October 31, 2009 [3 favorites]
* like say, me
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:16 PM on October 31, 2009 [3 favorites]
I did notice that "I kissed a girl" only returned Katy Perry results as if the Jill Sobule version didn't exist.
Not to mention the cover that kicks both their asses, the Brett Domino Trio* version.
*and yes, I plan on doing a Brett Domino FPP, but if you beat me to it, that's OK.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:21 PM on October 31, 2009 [4 favorites]
Not to mention the cover that kicks both their asses, the Brett Domino Trio* version.
*and yes, I plan on doing a Brett Domino FPP, but if you beat me to it, that's OK.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:21 PM on October 31, 2009 [4 favorites]
Didn't they used to return music results that actually linked to info on the artist?
posted by smackfu at 6:24 PM on October 31, 2009
posted by smackfu at 6:24 PM on October 31, 2009
I guess they just added the music search engine to show off the fact that they also link to sites that play the tracks?
As for why they suggested Lady Gaga, it's Apple's job to elevate deserving unknowns up the charts.
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:44 PM on October 31, 2009
As for why they suggested Lady Gaga, it's Apple's job to elevate deserving unknowns up the charts.
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:44 PM on October 31, 2009
Since it's not difficult to find commercial music as it is, I like to test these kinds of things with underground songs.
First, a song by one of my best friends. (he's not famous, but it's available on itunes and beatport, and was licensed on some high profile mix CDs)
Nothing from music search.
Okay, what about the top 3 artists on hype machine right now:
Blisters Boyz
Nothing.
Imogen Heap
Okay, got something! -- but not that surprising.
Metric
Nothing.
How about using it to search for a track I was trying to find last week:
Robin S - Show Me Love (AC Slater Remix)
Well, it finds it, but not with their music search.
Let's look for lyrics:
Poker face.
Well, it found the album, but who cares, I was looking for the lyrics, and now the lyrics are the second link on the page, making the results arguably LESS useful.
I dunno. I guess this might be okay for some things, but probably won't impact how I look for music.
posted by empath at 8:00 PM on October 31, 2009 [2 favorites]
First, a song by one of my best friends. (he's not famous, but it's available on itunes and beatport, and was licensed on some high profile mix CDs)
Nothing from music search.
Okay, what about the top 3 artists on hype machine right now:
Blisters Boyz
Nothing.
Imogen Heap
Okay, got something! -- but not that surprising.
Metric
Nothing.
How about using it to search for a track I was trying to find last week:
Robin S - Show Me Love (AC Slater Remix)
Well, it finds it, but not with their music search.
Let's look for lyrics:
Poker face.
Well, it found the album, but who cares, I was looking for the lyrics, and now the lyrics are the second link on the page, making the results arguably LESS useful.
I dunno. I guess this might be okay for some things, but probably won't impact how I look for music.
posted by empath at 8:00 PM on October 31, 2009 [2 favorites]
Didn't they used to return music results that actually linked to info on the artist?
They launched a database of artists and albums and tracks a few years ago that served no real purpose. I don't know if this is a new version of the same thing as the new music search results are (apparently) invisible outside the US.
posted by cillit bang at 8:44 PM on October 31, 2009
They launched a database of artists and albums and tracks a few years ago that served no real purpose. I don't know if this is a new version of the same thing as the new music search results are (apparently) invisible outside the US.
posted by cillit bang at 8:44 PM on October 31, 2009
I wish this were a glorified Google search, but it's um, only Google search.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:52 PM on October 31, 2009
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:52 PM on October 31, 2009
I've always preferred Grooveshark for my instastreaming music, anyway. (I'd use Spotify, but they hate America).
posted by mccarty.tim at 8:59 PM on October 31, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by mccarty.tim at 8:59 PM on October 31, 2009 [2 favorites]
I remember when Google Maps wasn't nearly as useful as Mapquest. Give it time.
posted by aniola at 9:04 PM on October 31, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by aniola at 9:04 PM on October 31, 2009 [2 favorites]
It doesn't seem to work for me. Perhaps its the Canada thing again.
posted by SSinVan at 9:55 PM on October 31, 2009
posted by SSinVan at 9:55 PM on October 31, 2009
The real value in this will not be straight searches, iTunes can show you Jay-Z if you search for it. It can't show you, "Song VW commercial about a moon," but Google can. They're not floating those results right now, but I would put money on this being the direction they're going. YouTube videos of Drake's Pink Moon popup on the top of the list so their queries are already there.
The popup window is sort of annoying, why aren't they doing it inline?
posted by geoff. at 9:57 PM on October 31, 2009
The popup window is sort of annoying, why aren't they doing it inline?
posted by geoff. at 9:57 PM on October 31, 2009
Yeah, U.S. only, as mentioned on the Google Blog post up there.
posted by Iosephus at 9:58 PM on October 31, 2009
posted by Iosephus at 9:58 PM on October 31, 2009
Actually, I can think of some situations when this might be a good idea, such as when the band name is a very common word, like The The. Well, it sounded like it might be good for that, but the music search brings up completely non-music related links, like NASA. It seems to work better at prioritizing music-related links in this case, but it still brings in way too much irrelevant stuff with it.
posted by krinklyfig at 9:59 PM on October 31, 2009
posted by krinklyfig at 9:59 PM on October 31, 2009
This led me to a streaming version of Bob Dylan's new Christmas album, which is SO MUCH WORSE THAN YOU'RE IMAGINING RIGHT NOW.
posted by EarBucket at 10:01 PM on October 31, 2009 [5 favorites]
posted by EarBucket at 10:01 PM on October 31, 2009 [5 favorites]
I thought this was the Google Music Search that everyone used.
It's also obvious that the music industry has lost if it's possible get music significantly faster off the-two-torrent-sites-that-begin-with-a-W than by actually paying for it. Way too many clicks/typing to buy the song, it should be: 1) Credit Card number, 2) download link.
Also, many of the streaming songs are samples. No one likes that, and people are going to get used to ignoring those links and go straight to youtube for the full stream like they do right now.
posted by amuseDetachment at 10:06 PM on October 31, 2009
It's also obvious that the music industry has lost if it's possible get music significantly faster off the-two-torrent-sites-that-begin-with-a-W than by actually paying for it. Way too many clicks/typing to buy the song, it should be: 1) Credit Card number, 2) download link.
Also, many of the streaming songs are samples. No one likes that, and people are going to get used to ignoring those links and go straight to youtube for the full stream like they do right now.
posted by amuseDetachment at 10:06 PM on October 31, 2009
Cool, so two search engines, well, search pages really, that do exactly the same thing.
Pandora isn't available outside the US, and neither's Rhapsody or Lala, which, aside from being as annoying as usual, leaves that little function being a big *whatever* for me and, I suspect, the rest of the world. I just did a search for Coil on Google music, and the first three hits are correct, and the next three are for Cuil, another search engine. Coil's actual music (YouTube) links are at the bottom of the page. At least MapQuest worked everywhere, and did what it was supposed to. If I was any more underwhelmed I'd fall asleep.
posted by Zack_Replica at 10:17 PM on October 31, 2009 [1 favorite]
Pandora isn't available outside the US, and neither's Rhapsody or Lala, which, aside from being as annoying as usual, leaves that little function being a big *whatever* for me and, I suspect, the rest of the world. I just did a search for Coil on Google music, and the first three hits are correct, and the next three are for Cuil, another search engine. Coil's actual music (YouTube) links are at the bottom of the page. At least MapQuest worked everywhere, and did what it was supposed to. If I was any more underwhelmed I'd fall asleep.
posted by Zack_Replica at 10:17 PM on October 31, 2009 [1 favorite]
This led me to a streaming version of Bob Dylan's new Christmas album, which is SO MUCH WORSE HILARIOUS THAN YOU'RE IMAGINING RIGHT NOW.
I heard excerpts from it on "Fresh Air" earlier this week and was cracking up in my car. The reviewer nailed it when he said that Dylan made "Here Comes Santa Claus" sound less like a promise than a threat.
posted by asterix at 10:35 PM on October 31, 2009 [3 favorites]
I heard excerpts from it on "Fresh Air" earlier this week and was cracking up in my car. The reviewer nailed it when he said that Dylan made "Here Comes Santa Claus" sound less like a promise than a threat.
posted by asterix at 10:35 PM on October 31, 2009 [3 favorites]
Dammit, "I'll Be Home For Christmas", not "Here Comes Santa Claus".
posted by asterix at 10:36 PM on October 31, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by asterix at 10:36 PM on October 31, 2009 [3 favorites]
This is bittersweet to me. I was one of the engineers responsible for Google's previous Music Search product. It was a good team - but we were endlessly endlessly prevented from doing anything by upper management who were scared to death of it, and they would neither re-license the data nor let us turn the product off so by the time this new one came along the data was years old.
It's sad that they didn't even bother to contact any of the old music search team, as far as I know - this is a brand-new effort.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 10:52 PM on October 31, 2009 [4 favorites]
It's sad that they didn't even bother to contact any of the old music search team, as far as I know - this is a brand-new effort.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 10:52 PM on October 31, 2009 [4 favorites]
lupus_yonderboy: You should check whether they're purposefully lowered youtube results. Because that's what it looks like they're doing as part of the deal. I vaguely remember that doing a search for "Jonathan Coulton" gave youtube links to videos, which they've squirred to the bottom now. It's like this for nearly all artists that are in the music directory.
posted by amuseDetachment at 11:23 PM on October 31, 2009
posted by amuseDetachment at 11:23 PM on October 31, 2009
amusementDetachment: I quit the company a few weeks ago! I'd been there for five years.
The original music search had no YouTube videos at all.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 11:33 PM on October 31, 2009
The original music search had no YouTube videos at all.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 11:33 PM on October 31, 2009
I thought they launched something like this years ago.
This doesn't seem very interesting at all, just adding a few playable tracks to search results. I'm not even sure why anyone would would care. Maybe it'll make a little extra money for Google in the form of referral cash or something.
posted by delmoi at 12:36 AM on November 1, 2009
This doesn't seem very interesting at all, just adding a few playable tracks to search results. I'm not even sure why anyone would would care. Maybe it'll make a little extra money for Google in the form of referral cash or something.
posted by delmoi at 12:36 AM on November 1, 2009
Ah, never mind then.
Sorry, I meant the search from the main homepage. It usually has a link to the video with a thumbnail, it seems to always be a bit lower on the search results now.
posted by amuseDetachment at 1:24 AM on November 1, 2009
Sorry, I meant the search from the main homepage. It usually has a link to the video with a thumbnail, it seems to always be a bit lower on the search results now.
posted by amuseDetachment at 1:24 AM on November 1, 2009
This looks pretty underwhelming.
Google music search China on the other hand is awesome. Direct links to streaming music or downloadable mp3s. All legal through an innovative revenue sharing agreement with most major labels. Unfortunately, I don't think it is available outside of China.
posted by afu at 1:16 AM on November 1, 2009 [4 favorites]
Google music search China on the other hand is awesome. Direct links to streaming music or downloadable mp3s. All legal through an innovative revenue sharing agreement with most major labels. Unfortunately, I don't think it is available outside of China.
posted by afu at 1:16 AM on November 1, 2009 [4 favorites]
While this may be underwhelming now, I remember having exactly the same sort of reaction when Google Books first came out - the results ranking was terrible, searching within a book wouldn't bring up phrases that I knew were there, even for out of copyright books that they had in full text. And now, a few years later - it's pretty good.
So expect to see this improve.
It's also obvious that the music industry has lost if it's possible get music significantly faster off the-two-torrent-sites-that-begin-with-a-W than by actually paying for it. Way too many clicks/typing to buy the song, it should be: 1) Credit Card number, 2) download link.
About two years ago when I lived in New Zealand, I fully agreed with this. I could torrent albums in a couple of minutes from the now-gone pink torrent site. Now, in the UK, it takes me at least half an hour to torrent anything, and I can play almost all the music I could want via Spotify, instantly. So for me at least, the music industry is getting back into the game, on its own merits.
posted by Infinite Jest at 1:30 AM on November 1, 2009
So expect to see this improve.
It's also obvious that the music industry has lost if it's possible get music significantly faster off the-two-torrent-sites-that-begin-with-a-W than by actually paying for it. Way too many clicks/typing to buy the song, it should be: 1) Credit Card number, 2) download link.
About two years ago when I lived in New Zealand, I fully agreed with this. I could torrent albums in a couple of minutes from the now-gone pink torrent site. Now, in the UK, it takes me at least half an hour to torrent anything, and I can play almost all the music I could want via Spotify, instantly. So for me at least, the music industry is getting back into the game, on its own merits.
posted by Infinite Jest at 1:30 AM on November 1, 2009
That Google Music Search China link is really interesting. I wish I knew how to navigate it more adeptly.
posted by painquale at 1:55 AM on November 1, 2009
posted by painquale at 1:55 AM on November 1, 2009
speaking of streaming music, does anyone have a spotify invite they want to send my way?
posted by HuronBob at 3:08 AM on November 1, 2009
posted by HuronBob at 3:08 AM on November 1, 2009
mccarty.tim: I've always preferred Grooveshark for my instastreaming music, anyway. (I'd use Spotify, but they hate America).
Wow, that is great! Thanks for the link.
posted by joedan at 3:31 AM on November 1, 2009
Wow, that is great! Thanks for the link.
posted by joedan at 3:31 AM on November 1, 2009
I've always preferred Grooveshark for my instastreaming music, anyway. (I'd use Spotify, but they hate America).
Grooveshark looks pretty good, and I'm finding a few things that aren't on Spotify. Thanks. (Spotify are trying to launch in the US; I don't know what the hold-up is).
HuronBob: looks like you're in the US so I don't think you'd be able to use it.
posted by Infinite Jest at 5:14 AM on November 1, 2009
Grooveshark looks pretty good, and I'm finding a few things that aren't on Spotify. Thanks. (Spotify are trying to launch in the US; I don't know what the hold-up is).
HuronBob: looks like you're in the US so I don't think you'd be able to use it.
posted by Infinite Jest at 5:14 AM on November 1, 2009
Why does Google China hate America? Why do all good music streaming sites, minus Grooveshark, hate America?
If the RIAA really ruined our international image that much, I guess I'll just have to move. They don't seem to be going away. ;__;
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:59 AM on November 1, 2009
If the RIAA really ruined our international image that much, I guess I'll just have to move. They don't seem to be going away. ;__;
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:59 AM on November 1, 2009
https://www.spotify.com/en/get-started/
dodge spotify's invite system,
posted by artaxerxes at 7:10 AM on November 1, 2009
dodge spotify's invite system,
posted by artaxerxes at 7:10 AM on November 1, 2009
The problem is that even if you do get into Spotify with that method, as I did, they only let you use it for two weeks from a US address. After that, they tell you that your traveling period is over. You can, in theory, connect to a British proxy server and feed Spotify's traffic through that at least once every two weeks, but I felt like that was too much work.
posted by mccarty.tim at 7:19 AM on November 1, 2009
posted by mccarty.tim at 7:19 AM on November 1, 2009
asterix: I heard excerpts from it on "Fresh Air" earlier this week and was cracking up in my car. The reviewer nailed it when he said that Dylan made "Here Comes Santa Claus" sound less like a promise than a threat.
Which you can stream here.
posted by paisley henosis at 8:43 AM on November 1, 2009
Which you can stream here.
posted by paisley henosis at 8:43 AM on November 1, 2009
Google already has a very handy music search:
-inurl:(htm|html|php) intitle:"index of" +"last modified" +"parent directory" +description +size +(wma|mp3) "Nirvana"
posted by Tarn at 3:18 PM on November 1, 2009 [2 favorites]
-inurl:(htm|html|php) intitle:"index of" +"last modified" +"parent directory" +description +size +(wma|mp3) "Nirvana"
posted by Tarn at 3:18 PM on November 1, 2009 [2 favorites]
Or whatever the band name is, plus "megaupload" or "rapidshare" or "Mediafire."
posted by klangklangston at 4:26 PM on November 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by klangklangston at 4:26 PM on November 1, 2009 [1 favorite]
actually the following searches all work pretty well
site:blogspot.com + your search + mp3
site:hypem.com + band name
site:elbo.ws + bandname
posted by empath at 9:16 PM on November 1, 2009 [2 favorites]
site:blogspot.com + your search + mp3
site:hypem.com + band name
site:elbo.ws + bandname
posted by empath at 9:16 PM on November 1, 2009 [2 favorites]
Like Empath - I have fun with teh Hype Machine. (And then take the music snob blog source code to post my dialy Mp3 to Facebook etc .).. but now GROOVESHARK yee haw thanks mccarty.tim !
posted by celerystick at 9:06 AM on November 2, 2009
posted by celerystick at 9:06 AM on November 2, 2009
Huh. I didn't even realize I was on Lala.
Apparently, no one else does, either.
posted by malocchio at 9:51 AM on November 2, 2009
Apparently, no one else does, either.
posted by malocchio at 9:51 AM on November 2, 2009
Not directly relevant to the OP, but Spotify's business model is interesting. Spotify is owned by several large music companies.
With a free account, you can stream music with adverts (effectively, a personalised, high quality, commercial radio service) or download the music (in encrypted format, effectively DRM) to your PC/iPhone/Android using a paid account (currently £10 per month). While you continue to pay your monthly bill, the music is available (online and offline on all of your devices) but as soon as you stop paying, you can't play it. In effect, you are renting the music. This is the business model the music industry wants to use and you can see why since it is a perpetual rental model.
Spotify has, so far, refused to declare the number of paid accounts, but, I suspect, it is relatively small. And I am not sure that people want "perpetual rental" rather than outright ownership, in which case this business model will go the same way as Communism -- and for the same reason. As Frank Zappa said: "The trouble with Communism is that people want to own stuff".
But Spotify shows us the intended direction of travel of the music business.
posted by bobbyelliott at 2:50 PM on November 2, 2009
With a free account, you can stream music with adverts (effectively, a personalised, high quality, commercial radio service) or download the music (in encrypted format, effectively DRM) to your PC/iPhone/Android using a paid account (currently £10 per month). While you continue to pay your monthly bill, the music is available (online and offline on all of your devices) but as soon as you stop paying, you can't play it. In effect, you are renting the music. This is the business model the music industry wants to use and you can see why since it is a perpetual rental model.
Spotify has, so far, refused to declare the number of paid accounts, but, I suspect, it is relatively small. And I am not sure that people want "perpetual rental" rather than outright ownership, in which case this business model will go the same way as Communism -- and for the same reason. As Frank Zappa said: "The trouble with Communism is that people want to own stuff".
But Spotify shows us the intended direction of travel of the music business.
posted by bobbyelliott at 2:50 PM on November 2, 2009
bobbyelliott: they say here that they have hundreds of thousands of subscribers, and millions of euros/month in ad revenue. They also offer a third-party download service.
I get where you're coming from about ownership, but for me anyway it's a good service. For £10/month I could get 30 downloads from emusic, or buy one CD, or get Spotify. I suspect the price might drop in the future, too, through competition (for example, there's a service launching in Australia/NZ at $10/month, so about half of the Spotify price, though with a more limited range of tracks).
posted by Infinite Jest at 4:56 AM on November 3, 2009
I get where you're coming from about ownership, but for me anyway it's a good service. For £10/month I could get 30 downloads from emusic, or buy one CD, or get Spotify. I suspect the price might drop in the future, too, through competition (for example, there's a service launching in Australia/NZ at $10/month, so about half of the Spotify price, though with a more limited range of tracks).
posted by Infinite Jest at 4:56 AM on November 3, 2009
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posted by bigmusic at 5:27 PM on October 31, 2009