Understanding Google Play

A one-stop shop for entertainment

by Trent Loomis

Google Play is a lot of things, but more importantly, it's a lot of things all in one place. Google has taken a wrecking ball to the Android Market as we know it (a store for apps and games) to create a comprehensive store combining the Android Market, Google Music, and Google eBookstore.

Google Play is a cloud-based one-stop shop for all things entertainment, Google's answer to Apple's iTunes store. Its nuances and changes are beneficial to everyone — not just those with Android devices — so sit back and enjoy the Google Play scenery.

Google Play fundamentals
Who can use Google Play? The service as a whole isn't restricted to those with Android devices, although the apps and games are. Anyone can access Google music, movies, television shows, magazines, and books from any desktop computer, both Windows and Mac.

The cloud
Google Play is all about going wireless. Google prides itself on its ability to avoid clutter and sync your digital library (music, movies, and books) with any desktop or Android device via the cloud.

Web and mobile sync enable you to read a chapter of a book you purchased on your desktop, then pick up where you left off on your Android tablet. The cloud service is free, so you'll never have to worry about moving your files again.

Sharing Google Play
Remember that using Google Play puts you in the Google universe, which includes the social networking platform Google+. With just a click of a button, you can share posts about the rocking band you just discovered, the thrilling movie you just watched, or the thoughtful book you just read.

Google Play integrates Google+ circles, email, and text messaging so you can reach who you want, how you want. Google Play not only lets you share what you listen to with your friends via Google+, but it lets them listen for free to the songs that you purchase (and vice versa).

Google Music
When you purchase a song through Google Play, you have two options: Keep it in the cloud for free and stream it whenever you want, or download it to your desktop computer's hard drive or mobile device. Purchased tracks can only be downloaded twice individually from the Web site, but you can always download your entire music collection with Google's Music Manager.

All purchased music is automatically stored in your Google Music library, becoming instantly available anywhere you have an internet connection. You can pin your favorite songs to your Android phone and tablet for offline playback or receive personalized recommendations based on what you listen to most.

Uploading and storage
Google offers storage for 20,000 non-Google purchased songs in the cloud. Imagine having your entire iTunes library (or at least 20,000 songs' worth) available on any computer, or Android device. Songs purchased from Google Music aren't counted toward the 20,000 upload limit, making the sky the limit when storing purchased music in the cloud..

Just download the Google Play Music Manager and import music from your iTunes library or wherever you store your music files. The process might take a while, depending on how many files you upload, so you might want to let it run overnight.

Books and magazines
Google Play has the largest selection of e-books around, with millions titles and counting. Choose from sci-fi, travel, cookbooks, bestsellers, mysteries, thrillers, and everything in between. If you want to go lighter with your reading, you can either purchase a digital magazine subscription, or an individual issue.

Sharing books that you love and favorite passages straight from the page is a snap with integrated Google+, e-mail, and text messaging. In keeping with Google Play's cloud-based theme, each book and magazine you purchase is stored in the cloud, making your entire library accessible from any and all of your connected devices.

Offline reading is great when you're in an internet dead zone (camping, flying, or at the beach). Because all of your books and magazines are stored and synced in the cloud, it is possible to start reading on your computer and continue where you left off on your tablet or phone.

Movies and TV shows
Until recently, Google Play was a one trick pony allowing only the capacity for renting and streaming movies from the cloud. As of Google's 2012 I/O, you can purchase movies and television shows in standard and high definition. There are thousands of titles, including HD versions, in all of the familiar genres..

If you know that you will be away from an Internet connection by the time you want to watch a movie, simply download it for offline viewing. Most of the time, you'll want to rent a film and begin streaming it instantly.

Apps and games
What used to be the Android Market for apps and games is now just a segment of Google Play. If you have an Android device, you will notice that the Android Market app is now called the Play Store, with a logo resembling a white shopping bag with the rebranded Google Play prism on the front. The Play Store app joins three other essential apps: Play Music, Play Books, Play Magazines, and Play Movies & TV.

Google's Play Store boasts more than 600,000 Android apps and games, which can be set to update automatically so you never have to re-enter your password or be pestered to update them manually.

And just like everything else under the Google Play umbrella, when you get an app on your computer, it will appear instantly on any and all your other Android devices, without your ever touching your tablet or phone.

All your purchases, wherever you are
With Google Play, Google is rebranding and combining all of its digital media outlets in one big superstore while doubling down on cloud-based storage.

Access without limitations and a centralized place to get all kinds of media makes Google Play a real player in the digital marketplace.