Chromecast is one of Google’s most successful consumer products ever. So it’s only natural that the company would like to hitch another wagon to that star—and right now, that wagon is its streaming-music service, formally known by the awful name Google Play Music All Access.
The occasion is the first anniversary of the TV streaming stick, which prompted Google to offer U.S.-based Chromecast users three free months of Google Play Music’s All Access service. According to a Google spokesperson, the promotion covers “free 90-day All Access music subscription to anyone with a Chromecast (who isn’t already an All Access subscriber).”
The offer starts Friday, July 24 and runs through September 30. Anyone interested can visit this Help Center link to learn more. The All Access service normally costs $9.99 a month.
When Chromecast launched a year ago, Google’s music service—along with Netflix, YouTube and Google Play Movies & TV—were the only streaming options available. Now Chromecast has hundreds of compatible apps, with many more on the way, according to Google.
A few data points from the press release:
• More than 400M casts
• Sold in 20 countries including the UK, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Australia and Brazil. Ireland was the most recent country to be added.
• 30,000 stores globally including Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart, Target, Dixons, Saturn and more.
• Millions of devices sold
• Hundreds of apps on Chromecast like HBO Go, ESPN, Songza and more. Find what’s new on chromecast.com/apps
• 6,000+ developers actively developing more than 10,000 Google Cast apps across Android, iOS and Chrome
The “millions of device sold” offers one of the only hints as to how successful Chromecast has been in the mass market. The Google spokesperson wouldn’t comment on hard sales numbers.
The Play Music subscription promotion, meanwhile, is one more sign of Google’s increasing interest in streaming music. Earlier this month, the company announced its acquisition of playlist-streaming startup Songza, and rumors persist that Spotify might be next on Google’s shopping list.
So the tech giant seems hell-bent on making waves in music streaming, one way or the other. The only question is if Google Play Music will be the way—or be left by the wayside.
