Google is taking the time to give back on the one-year anniversary of Chromecast by offering free music to users. It's also revealing some statistics about users and usage, and it hopes this will be a boost as the Chromecast platform continues to evolve and update.
The search company says the "cast" button on its digital media player Chromecast has been hit more than 400 million times over the past year, adding that use continues to increase, which is an effort to dispel other reports that suggest Chromecast is losing steam and popularity in recent months.
Chromecast is currently in approximately 6 percent of American homes, according to market research firm Parks Associates in June.
That may have been a reason for the company's push into a promotion on the one-year anniversary, its effort to increase interest in the service and to get existing users back onto the platform.
The promotion is simple. Google Play Music "is offering All Access subscriptions free for 90 days to anyone with a Chromecast (and who isn't already an All Access subscriber)."
The promotion is currently available in the United States and will run through Sept. 30.
In celebrating the 12-month mark of service, Google says that Chromecast aims to streamline and deliver easier functionality in one's home and entertainment life.
"We built Chromecast to make it easier for people to enjoy their favorite entertainment from their phone, tablet or laptop on the largest screen in the house -- the TV," says Google in a statement announcing the promotion and the anniversary.
"Since Chromecast launched, people have hit the cast button more than 400 million times to enjoy their favorite sports, music, premium movies and TV shows. We've added hundreds of your favorite apps, including WatchESPN, Pandora, Hulu Plus, HBO GO and PBS Kids; announced new features like mirroring your Android device to the TV; and expanded to 30,000 stores across 20 countries."
Many observers have pointed to the statistics published over the past few months as a sign that Chromecast may not be moving into the success position that Google had expected. Still, despite the negative reports on the platform, Google remains confident that the streaming service will continue to grow as it develops new ideas for the service.
