Reports indicate Google Inc. would be releasing their Google Music Store just in time to compete with the recently launched iTunes Match from Apple.

The first site which reported about the release of the new Google Music Store came from a Spanish-language blog called TechnoDroidVe. The blog also published supposed screen shots of the new Google Music Store. According to the authors, they were able to gain access to this "unreleased version" of this feature through using an HTC Inspire smartphone to access the Android Market. The leaked images showed the varied prices of songs ranging from the US$0.99 to US$1.299 price tag. In terms of a full album, the price will also vary depending in its popularity. The leaked photos also show that the Google Music Store would offer a "Free Song of the Day" feature for users. Rumors about the Google Music Store started when Google sent out a mysterious invention for a "special event" on Nov. 16 and will be held in Los Angeles, California.

The Google Music Store is also expected to work closely with Google Music. The company released this beta service last May and allows users to upload to the "cloud" a maximum number of 20,000 songs and stream them through an Android application or a PC. Upon the launch of Google Music, it was observed that there was no music store to accompany the cloud storage due to the fact that Google was not able to finish securing deals from record companies. This is not the case for the Google Music Store as it already formed a partnership with Universal Music Group. Other record companies like Sony and Warner are not yet reported to be affiliated with this venture.

The launch of the Google Music Store coincides with the unveiling of Apple's iTunes Match. The iTunes Match is a cloud-based offering which allows users to access songs and playlists from other devices. This feature also includes a subscription fee of US$24.99 which could be renewed annually. In line with this, Amazon also launched the Amazon Cloud Player which would compete with the Google Music Store and the iTunes Match. The Amazon Cloud Player offers a lower subscription fee of US$20 yearly and offers no storage limits for subscribers.

Image Source: TechnoDroidVe