Google is looking into the music streaming app Songza as a means of pushing forward its efforts in curation and the music industry. The aim is to grow the company's app base that could create better functionality of music services in the future. Still, reports suggest that Google doesn't want to be paying a whole lot for the acquisition.
The New York Post reports that Google is only putting forward some $15 million for the company, which may seem low, but with Songza not being the top music app as Spotify and Pandora are, it could be a means for the company to grow within the Google umbrella.
Songza is a little different than Spotify and Pandora in how it functions, allowing users to select and match different songs for different moods, such as when you're at the gym, studying or simply relaxing.
But the Post report doesn't indicate whether there is a solid ground for traction in the deal, but Google has made it clear that by getting Songza it could push out a number of new and innovative features for the Android market.
One of the main reasons Google is looking to acquire the music app is that Songza has a plethora of background in the curation department, something Google has gotten into in recent years but hasn't been able to move forward to compete with companies who have been in the music sector longer.
Also, it could be an attempt to keep pace with Apple, which lately acquired Beats Electronics and its music background. With Google Play Music on demand streaming service, adding a company like Songza could help make searching and finding similar songs to one's musical tastes could become much easier and quicker.
But, in many ways, Beats is the leader. "We've got a streaming service that we believe is the first to get it right," Apple CEO Tim Cook told [registration required] Financial Times.
More importantly, however, it could be Google's way of moving away from an algorithm only means of Internet and app functionality. Songza believes that there needs to be a human perspective in the music streaming app and this is markedly different that how Google has traditionally done things.
"Our free streaming music service has expert-made playlists for every occasion and makes it outrageously easy to find the right one, at the right time," the company says on its website.
