Google to end music search services in China

More than two years ago, Google effectively shut down its Chinese search engine, providing mainland users with a landing page that redirects to its uncensored site in Hong Kong.

Google said at the time the move was in response to censorship by the Chinese authorities.

In its latest decision, Google said in a statement it would halt services launched in 2009 with Chinese music downloading website Top100.cn.

"We have decided to shut down the music search services in China and turn our focus to more influential products," Boon-Lock Yeo, senior engineering director of Google China, wrote on the unit's blog.

"This product was not as influential as we expected."

Google will transfer staff from the music project to other areas, the statement said.

"We've been dedicated to developing products that can really change people's lives. During this process... you not only need to consider what should be carried forward, but also need to deliberate what should be stopped," Yeo said.

In the second quarter of this year, Google had 15.7 percent of the market for search engines in China while domestic leader Baidu commanded a whopping 78.6 percent share, according to consultancy Analysys International.