Mountain View has introduced a free scan and match feature for its Google Play music platform which allows users to add up to 20,000 songs.
The tracks can then be streamed across various Android devices, PCs and Macs.
Previously, users had to make do with uploading their own music collections, a tedious process that could take days for those with large collections.
“Our new music matching feature gets your songs into your online music library on Google Play much faster,” a company rep explained.
“We’ll scan your collection and quickly rebuild it in the cloud – all for free. And we’ll stream your music back to you at up to 320 kbps.”
So how does Google’s free scan and match service stack up against Apple’s iTunes Match?
Well, as AppleInsider’s Katie Marsal points out, Google Play currently has a limit of 300 megabytes per individual song – with no option to purchase additional storage beyond 20,000 tracks.
In comparison, Apple’s iTunes Match costs $25 per year. However, iTunes Match boasts a 25,000 song limit – totaling 5,000 tracks more than Google’s free service.
Meanwhile, Amazon’s $25 Cloud Player offers scan and match capabilities for up to 250,000 songs – 10 times that of Apple’s iTunes Match.
