iTunes rival Google Play Music goes live in Ireland

Google has made music available through its online store in Ireland for the first time.

The Play Music Store went live in Ireland, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Portugal yesterday morning, bringing the total number of countries that can access the main rival to Apple’s iTunes store to 18.

Users can add up to 20,000 songs from their existing music collection to the Google Play "online locker", which is accessible through the app for Android smartphones and tablets, and at play.google.com for computers and iOS devices.

The store offers millions of old and new songs from all major record companies, as well as dozens of independent labels and artists.

"Whether you want the latest single from Tinie Tempah or a classic album from Dire Straits, you'll find it on Google Play," Google's head of international music partnerships Sami Valkonen said today.

Once downloaded, songs can be synced between Android devices and computers using the Google Chrome app, which Google claims is the key advantage of Play over other music services.

“The free online locker means you can take your music with you wherever you go, on any device,” Mr Valkonen said.

The cost of purchase varies depending on the track, but Google claims prices are on par with other music services. Singles cost between 99c and €1.29.

Through the Artist Hub feature, independent artists can create a profile, upload music files, suggest a retail price and sell their music directly to their fans through the store.

The Social Shares feature allows users to share the music they have purchased with friends on Google+, giving others a chance to listen to a track in full once before deciding whether to purchase it themselves. Instant Mix generates custom playlists based on the mood and style of a selected track.

Google Play Music first launched in Europe last November. A multi-territorial licensing process recommended by the European Commission last year has allowed Google to roll out the service to more countries.

With the expansion of the service, Google hopes to cash in on the rising popularity of digital music. Sales of digital albums increased by 14 per cent last year, according to the latest music industry report from Nielsen/Billboard, while sales of digital tracks were up five per cent.

Google Play also offers apps, movies, television programmes and books, but the US and UK are the only countries where customers have access to all stores.