30 March 2009 | Author: L. Sutherland Head of Media Content

Google tries to capture China's market with a tune

You don't have to be the smartest kid in the playground to realise that having something good and then giving it away free, is a quick bet for making friends. And it seems that search engine supremos are keen to make use of such tactics.

Recent reports indicate that Google aims to make inroads in the seemingly un-crackable, almost 300 million-user-strong Chinese market by offering links to free music downloads. The search gladiator doesn't offer this service anywhere else, which says something significant about the extent to which Google seeks to make an impact on China's lucrative market.

Google has made the announcement following a successful alliance with top music industry names - including Sony, Universal Music and Warner Music and was revealed at a news conference in Beijing. But this isn't only big news for China, where Google is hoping to take on the current top search engine - Baidu, it could be big news for music downloading the world over.

The New York Times reports that Chinese consumers are particularly avid downloaders of music - whether from legit sites or illegal ones and Baidu - with 62 per cent of the Chinese search market - has come under fire for providing links to illegal download sites. None of this has gone unnoticed by global music companies, several of whom tried to sue Baidu to stop it from linking to non-official sites.

It hasn't gone unnoticed by Google either. The massive search company is lagging behind in China with only 28 per cent of the market. And its new service - which will lead Chinese users searching for music to Top100.cn where they will be able to download licensed music - aims to change the status quo. By generating sales for record companies as well as boosting its own rankings Google's musical activities in China could provide a model for future pirate-tackling tactics worldwide.

As Kai-fu Lee, the president of Google Greater China, said to the New York Times: "This is a huge leap of faith for us." But if it pays off for the search giants, it's sure to reap heavy rewards.

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