Google Play Music

Google Play Music, or Play Music, was a music and podcast streaming service and online music locker operated by Google as part of its Google Play line of services. It directly competed with services such as iTunes and Spotify. It was launched publicly on November 16, 2011. In August 2020, Google announced that the service would start gradually shutting down in September, and was fully replaced by YouTube Music in October.

Mobile App
Google Play Music is available as a native application on Android and iOS. The app is included on Android by default and is used to play any music stored on the device. However, it cannot be used to upload anything. On both operating systems, it streams music from the cloud the same way it does on the desktop site.

History
Google Play Music was originally released in 2011 under the name Google Music. The service began a closed beta testing period in the summer and was publicly released in November 2011. The initial features included a music store, the capability to upload your own songs, and Google+ integration.

On March 6, 2012, Google Music merged with the Android Market, Google Movies, and Google Books, and was renamed Google Play. Later on, more services were added, by these four were the original group that made up Google Play.

Rumors

 * Google Play Music will allow direct uploading through the website. This will be particularly designed for Chromebook owners.