Google adds iTunes, Apple Music shortcuts & more to iOS search cards

Google on Thursday began adding streaming service links to the "knowledge panels" it displays in iOS search results, among them ones for Apple Music and iTunes.

When searching for music, movies, or TV shows, knowledge panels may now include icons pointing to services where the media is hosted, Google said. Looking for the movie "Zootopia," for example, will offer quick links to services including iTunes, YouTube, Google Play, and Amazon Video. Some other services popping up in results are ABC, Hulu, Pandora, Vudu, and Spotify.

Movie and TV results should display pricing where applicable. With music, Google may link either directly to content or to "artist-seeded radio," depending on the service and a person's subscription plan.

Google has included such links in knowledge panels before, but only for Android and desktop users. In fact some iOS users may have to wait, as the updated results only appear to be rolling out gradually.

The change could eventually boost traffic to Apple's services, since the lead results in Google music and video searches are often IMDb or Wikipedia pages, or else official websites.

Google typically keeps parity between iOS and Android features where possible, but often brings new technology to Android first. With Google Maps, for example, it only recently brought Timeline support to the iPhone and iPad.

5 Comments

randominternetperson 8 Years · 3101 comments

About 7 years ago

Why would anyone bother to use the Google app to do something that's already baked into iOS (and that works very well)?

kevin kee 10 Years · 1289 comments

I am afraid this is more of obligation move since Shazam already done the same.

cropr 11 Years · 1143 comments

randominternetperson said:

Why would anyone bother to use the Google app to do something that's already baked into iOS (and that works very well)?

I do and the reason is very simple: Google services are cross platform. So my wife can consult my calendar on her Android phone.
And on top of that there is a lot of room for improvement for the localized Apple apps. As a Dutch speaking Belgian, I sadly have to report that Apple Maps does not support Belgian public transport (Google Maps does) and that Siri really sucks in Dutch (Google Now sucks a little less).

bdfortin 7 Years · 2 comments

I wonder if this is related to Apple's recent affiliate commission cut?

bestkeptsecret 13 Years · 4289 comments

cropr said:

randominternetperson said:

Why would anyone bother to use the Google app to do something that's already baked into iOS (and that works very well)?

I do and the reason is very simple: Google services are cross platform. So my wife can consult my calendar on her Android phone.
And on top of that there is a lot of room for improvement for the localized Apple apps. As a Dutch speaking Belgian, I sadly have to report that Apple Maps does not support Belgian public transport (Google Maps does) and that Siri really sucks in Dutch (Google Now sucks a little less).

I must say I am very disappointed in you. Why haven't you given your wife an iPhone yet?

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