Google Jumps Into Music with OneBox

Google has entered the music space...sort of. Google recently unveiled its new "OneBox" feature. Google isn't streaming the music or getting into downloads, instead it's partnering with services like Lala, iLike, Pandora, Imeem, and Rhapsody. This gives Google a higher profile in music without having to get into the music business directly, avoiding messy royalty negotiations and legal battles.

With "OneBox," when a user searches for an artist on Google, the first result that comes up are links a special player from one of the partners mentioned above, which will allow the user to stream various songs from that artist. The player also includes a link to buy the song from the service that is actually streaming it. The first page of results will also include the artist's official site, links to bios, lyrics and other music sites.