Google planning China online music tie-up

New York: Leading web search engine Google Inc is planning to provide free music downloads through a tie up with a Chinese online music company, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Google was in the late planning stages of a venture and will likely offer access to tunes from three global music companies as well as dozens of smaller brands.

The service could start in the next several weeks barring any last-minute problems, it said.

Google representatives were not immediately available for comment.