Google Assistant adds streaming support for Bugs Music, the Tidal of South Korea

Abner Li | Sep 17 2018 - 9:37 am PT

In addition to features like bilingual support, one way Google Assistant is improving its global footprint is by supporting local services. Over the weekend, the company added support for Bugs Music, a Korean streaming app that specializes in high-resolution audio.

Bugs was quietly added to the list of “More music services” in Google Assistant settings over the past few days. Tapping brings up a screen confirming that you want to “Link your Bugs Account” to “enable playback on compatible devices and access your playlists.”

Continuing takes users to a sign-in page for the Korean service where uses can enter account credentials. Once set as the default provider, Bugs will be used to play music when users interact with Assistant on phones, Home, and Smart Displays. Users can still access other music services by specifying in a command, while Bugs will remain logged in.

Bugs Music has a very similar concept to Tidal in the United States with 10 million lossless high-resolution FLAC songs. With its combined library of 20 million songs, it claims to be the “largest in the country.” Like other services, it features personalized recommendations and stations based on listening history.

To appreciate clean and lossless high-quality sound, Bugs applies a quality improvement solution called, RADSONE. As a result of Bugs’ differentiated technology and commitment to sound quality, which is not found in other Korean music services, Bugs received official Hi-Res Audio certification from the Japan Audio Society (JAS), a first for digital music service providers in Korea.