Google China has finally launched its localization initiative in China against Baidu by launching its own mp3 music search and mimicking Baidu’s successful mp3 search, first found through Music 2.0 and later noted through Search Engine Land. Music 2.0 has the basic scoop:

[T]he much talked about Google MP3 Search service is here at www.google.cn/music [a]nd it’s certainly game on as they take on Baidu’s very illegal mp3 search with legal links from its search results provided by local music service Top 100.cn for free streaming, free mp3 downloads and lyrics supported by advertising revenue, and paid Caller RingBack Tones (CRBT) via China Mobile - with rights being cleared by most major labels (with probably one major holdout), publishers and a number of domestic labels for mainly Chinese music[.]

However, Music 2.0 notes that Jay Chow songs had yet to be allowed for download believing that no deal had been established yet, but when looking at it now, there are in fact many Jay Chow （周杰伦) songs able to be downloaded (下载), so likely Google rolled it out before it had searched for those songs:

What has really ticked me off was the fact that Google China decided to side itself with the hated regional restrictions that many DVD player makers on computers like to restrict–if you live anywhere outside of China, you get the following note:

抱歉，谷歌不在您所在的地区提供您所需要的服务。

[loosely translated: Sorry, you are not in the correct area for Google (mp3 search) to service you.]

Ironically, it is also showing this to Google’s own bot making the page very non-SEO friendly:

Now, you can always just check your IP, learn about IP proxies, and get a China open proxy (transparent), to avoid this Internet censorship, but you would still have to search (and understand) Chinese to find music you want.

So, Google once again enters in very late, does some evil, but at least is doing something to compete through localization, even if it it has to copy Baidu:

So, what does Google China’s mp3 search offer?

  • Very basic level of music trends (Baidu’s is far superior offering multiple trends on one nice page)

  • Ability to download songs without DRMs for the first time

  • The words from the song so you can sing along (always useful)

  • Streaming, but be prepared to accept the ever-so-fun EULA: