Google introduced Google Music to the public at its Android event in Los Angeles Wednesday. It launches as a combination of music services and a Music Store. Google Music is about discovering, purchasing, sharing and enjoying music in new, innovative and personalized ways.

Google launched its online music store with 13 million tracks in a challenge to Apple’s iTunes. It has partnerships with 3 major recording companies: Universal, Sony and EMI. They’ve also partnered with the world’s largest digital distributors of independent music including IODA, INgrooves, The Orchard and Believe Digital.

Google Music Store is available in the Android Market on the web. The store requires Android 2.2 or higher.

Google is selling music for prices that match those at iTunes — 69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29. The company also is giving away dozens of songs for free and says it will continue to offer new free tracks.

 

You can purchase individual songs or entire albums right from your computer or your Android device and they’ll be added instantly to your Google Music library or you can upload it to Google’s cloud storage (service is free for up to 20,000 songs, and same time Apple’s iTunes Match, which costs $25 a year).

“Other cloud music services think you have to pay to listen to music you already own. We don’t.” said Google’s director of digital content for Android, Jamie Rosenberg.

Also, you have the ability to share a free full play of a purchased song with your friends on Google+.

Google Music is currently only available in the United States.