Google confirmed speculation that it would launch a music service at its annual I/O developer conference Wednesday. The internet giant announced Google Play Music All Access, a subscription-based service that is a little bit of Spotify, Pandora and Twitter #Music all in one. Apparently, the internet behemoth's announcements went over well with Wall Street, as Google's shares closed at a record high of $900, putting the company's market cap over $300 billion. 

Unlike Google Music, its cloud music service that lets users upload up to 20,000 purchased songs to listen to on Android devices or on the web, the Google Play Music All Access subscription service launches it into direct competition with music streaming services like Spotify—which has 24 million active monthly users, 6 million paying subscribers and more than 20 million licensed songs in 28 countries—as well as Pandora. Though unlike either of the other services, Google's All Access won't have a free option. The service, which will be available across the web, mobile and tablets will cost $9.99 per month after a 30-day free trial. 

“It makes lots of sense for both YouTube and Play, which was built for Google’s Android devices, to sell music subscriptions,” notes AllThingsD. “YouTube is the world’s biggest free music service, which could make it a fantastic funnel for a Spotify-like paid offering, which can also help solve some problems with the music labels."Continue reading...

Above: The evil geniuses at Taiwan's NMA have produced an online Kim Jong-un-inspired game Best Korea Smackdown. The animation gang has also produced what is maybe its most subversive ever little video about American-Chinese relations with its "Iron Man 3" commentary.

China is the second largest economy in the world and every significant brand's future is impacted by its growth (or collapse)—but who's got the time?! Here's the week's reads that will make you look like a keen China observer in case you find yourself immersed in a cultural conversation.

This week: BMW's China brand... Spotify's in Asia... Ginseng... Iron Man 3 "chinky eyes"... Online retail... HTC's branded disaster... Xiaomi denies Jobs copy... Hertz buys to rent... Alibaba phones... Apple porn... Burberry and YSL... WeChat... "cat models"... and more.Continue reading...

In its latest bid to become a multimedia platform, Twitter has officially announced Twitter #music, a web and app-based platform that allows users to stream trending music from the site. 

The company Jack Dorsey founded in 2006 now has over 200 million monthly users tweeting over 400 million time a day. After announcing multiple improvements to its API earlier this year, Twitter’s ad revenue is projected to generate $583 million this year and $1 billion in 2014, according to eMarketer. Now, as it builds channels to stream video content and music, the microblogger is setting itself up to become the golden-child of the emerging dual-screen media phenomenon. 

Rumored to have been soft-launched at California's Coachella festival, the Twitter #Music app is now available for download in the Apple App Store and can also be accessed on the web. “It uses Twitter activity, including Tweets and engagement, to detect and surface the most popular tracks and emerging artists," according to Twitter's blog. "It also brings artists’ music-related Twitter activity front and center: go to their profiles to see which music artists they follow and listen to songs by those artists. And, of course, you can tweet songs right from the app.”Continue reading...

HTC One, a.k.a. the Facebook Home phone that's coming to AT&T and other carriers, is just one focus of the company’s impending brand refresh and aggressive marketing campaign to get better market placement against competitors like Samsung. 

HTC has been known for good hardware and not-so-good promotion, but squaring off against marketing-savvy Samsung requires the former to up its game. "It's one thing to make a great device—HTC has done that before," Mike Woodward, president of HTC America told the LA Times. "What is a little different this time is the way that we're going to market. We want to really get that down to the streets and get that down to consumers." 

HTC had been using “quietly brilliant” as its slogan, but the brand is looking to step out of its shell with a new marketing message that has “bold,” “authentic” and “playful” themes. The new tagline, "Everything Your Phone Isn't," is courting "Generation Feed" (what HTC calls tech-savvy, early-adopters). "Tech millennials are hard to connect with," Erin McGee, HTC North America VP Marketing told Ad Age. "We wanted to create a closer connection by targeting passion points."Continue reading...

Apple loses iPad Mini trademark, and finds a fan in Kim Jong-un as North Korea rattles saber and tensions rise with U.S., while increased China headaches include hacking threat and iPad regulation.

Discovery Communications expands global channel reach and launches scripted programming.

Novartis loses cancer drug patent battle in India.

Amazon buys Goodreads community-driven user reviews website.

AMC reveals new tagline and logo.

Armani hires Cate Blanchett for $10M campaign.

AT&T scores with March Madness Twitter campaign.Continue reading...

Choice of music at any given moment is a very personal thing. With the number of digital music services out there, that choice can also be fairly personal. Spotify, which started in Sweden in 2008, is now trying to distance itself from the rest of the pack in America with its very first TV ad campaign that has more than $10 million budgeted for the first three months, according to the New York Times.

Spotify is following in the footsteps of other digital music sites such as Rdio and Rhapsody that have already shelled out for national advertising but haven’t become totally part of mainstream culture just yet.Continue reading...

Honda has the best brand image, according to a Kelly Blue Book study.

FDA abandons graphic cigarette warning labels in favor of new approach.

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg launches $12 million ad campaign against the NRA.

Amazon is the most visited online retailer in Europe.

Boeing's Dreamliner completes first flight test since being grounded.

With 1 million users, Fitocracy users are more engaged than any social network besides Facebook.

GQ allows users to personalize its iPad app with MyGQ technology.Continue reading...

As this year’s South by Southwest—running March 8-17 in Austin, Tex.—gears up, brands and agencies are pulling out all the stops to catch the attention of thousands of trendsetters that attend the yearly event. Nearly 25,000 people, about 7 percent more than in 2012, are expected to register for the interactive part of the festival alone. 

Some SXSW pioneers question the growing popularity as lessening the value of the event, which started out mainly as a music festival. “What was once an under-the-radar affair has become a trendy, mainstream gala, raising concerns that going may no longer be worthwhile for entrepreneurs looking to meet investors, potential co-founders or others who could potentially have a significant impact on their businesses," the Wall Street Journal reports. 

John Frankel, partner at ff Venture Capital in New York, which backs two to three startups a year disagrees. “If you just stick with companies recommended to you, you can miss out on some amazing [investment opportunities]. I’m a great believer in happenstance.”

For brands looking to make a connection with tech-savvy millennials, (who isn't?) SXSW is a feeding ground for viral campaigns and unique marketing stunts. Here's a sampling of what some sponsors and participants have in store for attendees: Continue reading...