Google is ever expanding their reach when it comes to ads and trying to monetize the valuable thing we know of as the Knowledge Panel. In this case, Google is testing new ad formats on the Knowledge Panel, and it’s doing it on their own streaming service, Google Play. So if you start searching for a favorite band or musician, you’ll begin seeing ads appear in the Knowledge Panel.
After you’ve searched for a band, musician, or song, you’ll see a new “Listen Now” advertising section that can be found under the artist’s name and photos. You will also see a way to free versions of songs that can be found on YouTube, as well as purchasable versions of the related music through Spotify, Rhapsody, Beats Music and Google Play.
Anyone who knows Google knows that this isn’t the first time they’ve tested ads in other areas. They’ve ran tests in their books, movies and cars sections.
When you compare the music to the movie ad tests, you’d find that they’re actually quite similar to each other. For the movies, you’ll see a “Watch Now” as well as advertisers for Vudu, Hulu Plus and Google Play.