Google has announced plans to enter China’s online music market, stepping up its battle with local incumbent Baidu.com Inc, Reuters reported. Google is expected to announce a joint venture with Top100.cn, which will allow users to listen to and download licensed music files for free. The joint venture is expected to generate revenue through online advertisements on the music search pages. Top 100 was set up with initial capital of US$2.8 million, part of which came from Chinese basketball star Yao Ming. Chinese internet firms such as Baidu have boosted their popularity by providing access to music files, many of which are pirated.
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