Google’s long awaited cloud based music service is expected to launch at the Google I/O conference 2011, held in San Francisco.

We have already seen Amazon pioneering the concept of a cloud music service a month ago. Looks like Google wants to follow suit and launch it’s own cloud based music player which will allow desktop and Android users to listen songs from Google’s cloud music player, from any device or any computer connected to the internet. It’s interesting to note that support for iPhone or iOS devices is not expected yet.

There are rumors that Google’s cloud music service will be named Google music Beta. Users will be able to upload Mp3 albums and entire music collections from their computer or mobile phone to Google’s cloud music player and all the songs will be stored online and automatically synced across all your computers, tablets and mobile devices.

The core idea is entirely similar to other File sync services like Dropbox and AVG LiveKive – both the services allow users to stream music from a desktop or mobile browser without downloading the actual file in question.

When you’re using another device e.g an office computer or someone else’s mobile or tablet device, all you have to do is sign in to your Google Music account and stream the songs in the host computer or device. There is no need to download all the songs or carry them in an entire removable drive, which becomes really unmanageable when your music collection has grown in volume.

Difference Between Amazon And Google’s Cloud Music Player

There are a couple of differences between Amazon cloud player and Google’s yet to launch cloud music player.

First, Google is expected to offer a hefty free storage space of 20GB, which is 4 times large as that of Amazon’s 5GB free storage space. Second, Amazon sells individual music tracks and albums to it’s users while Google does not. Third, Google does not have licenses from Music labels so users of Google’s cloud music service will have limited scope over the sharing aspects of a song or buying them from Google.

Fourth, Android users will be able to access their music libraries when they are not connected to the internet while Amazon’s cloud player requires users to first connect to the Internet and stream the songs they want to listen to. Fifth, Google’s cloud music player won’t work from an iPhone or iPad whereas Amazon cloud drive works from any device connected to the internet– Windows, MAC, Linux, Android or iOS.

Just earlier yesterday, Google partnered with Sony, Universal and Warner Bros to host full length Hollywood movies on YouTube (on a paid rental basis). It’s no wonder Google wants to focus on the media entertainment industry and engage people by offering an enormous online space to store their favorite songs and sync them on multiple computers or mobile devices.

It’s interesting to note that Apple is also working on it’s own cloud music player but the difference here is that the company has bought legal rights from music labels and agreed on a mutual licensing pact.

We will have to wait and watch how Google’s cloud music service shapes up in the coming weeks. [ via CNET ]