Today in Connected Consumer

It seems to be online music week. First came word of Google’s plans to One Box music search results, including links to Lala.com and iLike. Then came Facebook’s announcement that it will integrate Lala into its popular gift store. Vevo is reported to be in talks with EMI and Warner Music, while MySpace said it is creating a New Music Video hub and expanding the music video selections in its search results. Will it all add up to a business in paid music online? Lala Media CEO Bill Nguyen, who wasn’t even aware of Google’s plans before they were announced, thinks the Facebook deal “may be the most significant thing since the ring tone.” It’s early yet, but it could turn out that search — long a popular way to find illegal music online — could become the music industry’s new best friend.