The Google TV platform is starting to get better and better, even if it has taken a ridiculously long time to get to this point. First, there was a major overhaul of the UI and addition of many more apps — all of which was sorely needed a long time ago to make this product more appealing to consumers.
The latest addition of Google Music to the platforms made in partnership with Sony and Logitech (and possibly Samsung as well soon) has made the Google TV platform even more worth the price.
See also: Google Music opens to public for free; 200M Android devices sold
Google TV perks up some more with Google Music
I recently tested out using Google Music on my Google TV set from Sony, and the process was remarkably simple.
First, I accessed Google Music online on my laptop, where I downloaded the software that automatically syncs up music from my iTunes library (other digital music lockers are supported too) and then adds it to my Google Music account.
Although the process wasn’t as quick as I might have liked. It took about an hour or two to upload 200 songs. (There doesn’t seem to be a track-matching-in-the-cloud solution.) But it also keeps the music separated by the original playlists I designated in iTunes, as well as the usual categories (i.e. by artist, album, etc.).
Then, I had to download the Google Music app onto the TV set from the Android Market. Again, this was really easy as I didn’t even have to search through the Android Market. Obviously, Google was in full promo mode of this app by the weekend, so it was front and center upon arrival.
Thus, when that was installed within a matter of seconds, I was able to automatically access the music I had uploaded because all of it is tied to my personal Google Apps account. The interface is easy to navigate — maybe not exceptional in design, but certainly not displeasing to the eyes. I also find this to be a great option for entertaining if I want to make my own playlist instead of just letting Pandora take care of things on a semi-random basis.
Certainly, there are other music services, such as Sony’s Music Unlimited (and maybe even Spotify when that comes to Internet TVs), that also allow users to create playlists with many more songs. Music Unlimited has more than 7 million tracks in its library, while Google Music will only let you upload 20,000. However, I don’t have close to 20,000 songs, so 7 million is even a bit more than I would require. Plus, Google Music is free because it’s music you’ve already paid for (in theory), so no subscriptions required to make use of those features as well as access.
Thus, it’s a great way of managing and having your music accessible from more devices than just your smartphone or MP3 player, regardless if you’re an Android or iOS user.
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