Google Inc. has shut down its music service in India less than three years after launching it.
The development comes as the U.S. tech giant has been consolidating its product and services, an initiative it began in 2011.
So far this year, Google has also shut down services such as the Reader that allowed people to keep tabs on their favorite websites; the Building Maker that was used for making three-dimensional building models for Google Earth and maps; and the voice app for Blackberry, among others.
“This is part of an ongoing effort across Google to bring greater focus to our portfolio of products,” a spokeswoman for the Indian unit of Google said in a statement. “In the case of music, we felt that there are many legal music options for users now featured in search (from other websites).”
In 2010, Google launched the service google.co.in/music to help Indian Internet users search and download legal online music, in a move that was aimed at combating digital piracy. It had partnered with local music company, Saregama India Ltd.; in.com, an India-based portal owned by Network 18 Media & Investments Ltd.; and also New York-based media company Saavn LLC for the service and cataloguing songs.
Google had informed in.com about its move to shut down the service from June 7, an executive at in.com, who is in charge of the partnership, said on condition of anonymity.
“Online entertainment will remain an important area for Google and its mission,” the statement said.
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