RIP Songza: Google shuts the app down and streamlines it into Play Music

There can only be one. In an effort to streamline its music services, Google is shutting down Songza’s website and mobile apps. Existing users will have to migrate to Google Play Music.

Google bought Songza in July of 2014 for an undisclosed amount and promised to bring the music curating service’s features to Play Music — and it did just that.

Songza launched in 2007 and lets users search for music by genre, mood, and artists. It also utilizes a feature called Concierge. Concierge uses indicators like time of day, date, and a user’s activity to select relevant tracks they may enjoy. In October of 2014, Google brought Concierge and customized listening suggestions to its own music subscription service, effectively rolling most of Songza’s features into its music app.

When’s the service going on the chopping block? Songza’s website and apps will shut down on January 31, 2016, but current users can migrate their accounts to Google Play Music and still keep track of their favorite music and playlists. Songza’s founders aren’t going anywhere, either, as they will be working on the Play Music team.

“Thank you so much for being a part of the Songza community over all of these years,” the Songza team said in an email going out to users. “We’re really proud of the work that we’ve done on Google Play Music and we truly hope you’ll join us there.”

Google has been ramping up its music service recently, trying to hold its share of the pie from competitors like Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora. Recently, the company said the music app will offer podcasts, and a new family plan was announced that adds support for six devices at $15 a month. Google also recently launched YouTube Music, which helps users discover new music, and pairs with its YouTube Red service. YouTube Red offers the ability to download videos for offline playback, play videos on the background on mobile, and is compatible with Google Play Music.

from Planet GS via John Jason Fallows on Inoreader http://ift.tt/1lYcJm2
Julian Chokkattu