Apple Finally Signs Universal Music, iCloud Streaming Available

[MacRumors]

CNet reports that Apple has signed the last of the four major record labels to its iCloud service which will be officially announced next week.

The agreement means that Apple now has the rights to offer recording rights from all of the major labels. In addition, Apple has reached agreements with some of the large publishers, the sources said.

This represents the final step before Apple is able to launch its iCloud service which is believed to offer music streaming to iOS and Mac users. Apple has already announced that they will be detailing iCloud at next week's WWDC keynote which takes place on Monday, June 6th.

CNet reports that labels will get 58%, publishers 12%, while Apple retains 30%. They also add that streaming won't be available on Monday but will be offered "soon". And at first, Apple will only store music in iCloud that was purchased in iTunes, but Apple is looking to include songs outside iTunes "sometime in the future".


Article Link: Apple Finally Signs Universal Music, iCloud Steaming Available "Soon"

 

[TMar]

Just in time...

 

[RoelJuun]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; nl-nl) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

And thus only iTunes bought music can be streamed when iCloud rolls out.

 

[Vol7ron]

Of course, gotta get all those wrinkles out of the service so it is flawless.

 

[314631]

I can't see the recording industry ever allowing Apple to store music acquired outside of iTunes. So the service will be pretty useless to me. Most of my music is purchased through Amazon these days and that isn't going to change no matter how cool Apple's service turns out to be.

 

[jared52]

Wow, so then 95% of my collection won't be in the iCloud? Don't think I'll be paying for that.

 

[Centient]

And at first, Apple will only store music in iCloud that was purchased in iTunes, but Apple is looking to include songs outside iTunes "sometime in the future".

Well Apple can let me know when that sometime in the future rolls around. Until then almost all interest in this service has just streamed out of me.

 

[ox4dboy]

I hope this means AirPlay starts working with more stuff - like the HBO Go app.

 

[Robin4]

How about finding out what they offer first, then you can choose to hate them. Geez, I hate those Debbie downers.

 

[FuNGi]

Agreed. I'll be 'waiting until the future' as well. Who buys itunes music anymore when there are legit and cheaper alternatives? If I can't put all my music in the frickin' iCloud then icanforgetaboutit.

 

[ejacob]

Still excited for any update to iDisk with or without "steaming" music.

 

[wordoflife]

Well lets see how this works on capped data plans for iPhones

 

[Small White Car]

How about finding out what they offer first, then you can choose to hate them. Geez, I hate those Debbie downers.

Also be prepared for the word "soon" to mean "never" for the next week's worth of posts.

It's nice to understand how Macrumors works ahead of time.

 

[Tonewheel]

Straighten me out on this.....

While streaming music seems great, I'm going to blow through my data plan well before the month is over. Or am I missing something??

 

[Žalgiris]

Wow, so then 95% of my collection won't be in the iCloud? Don't think I'll be paying for that.

Pretty specific taste if 95% of your music is not available on iTunes.

 

[jumanji]

Wow, so then 95% of my collection won't be in the iCloud? Don't think I'll be paying for that.

you don't have to - it's a good start...

 

[Cougarcat]

Pretty specific taste if 95% of your music is not available on iTunes.

Who would rebuy music just to use it on iCloud?

 

[OllyW]

Pretty specific taste if 95% of your music is not available on iTunes.

I read it as he has only purchased 5% of his music from iTunes so he won't be allowed to access the other 95% from iCloud.

 

[314631]

Also be prepared for the word "soon" to mean "never" for the next week's worth of posts.

It's nice to understand how Macrumors works ahead of time.

You can be eternal optimist if you like.

For those who know how the recording industry thinks and works, we understand there is precisely zero chance of them EVER allowing Apple to potentially store and stream pirated works from their service. And there is no way for Apple to verify music uploaded outside of iTunes was legally acquired.

 

[OzyOly]

I was really hoping for a spotify type service. I pay £10/month for spotify premium, if apple offered that with the current mobileme features for £15/month, I'd be in!

 

[richard5mith]

I don't understand why this is going to be of any use to me. I have a Spotify subscription, which means I can already stream all the music I want on my desktop or iPhone. I can also cache it offline, so as to not blow through my data plan when out and about.

Surely this is also similar to what Napster has been doing for years, or Rhapsody, or MOG etc now.

So if all the Apple service lets me do is stream the music I've already bought, which I probably have on my device anyway.... am I missing something?

 

[Avatar74]

Amazon, Google, Best Buy, WalMart, Microsoft... it was nice knowin' ya.

 

[dwd3885]

Good start, but Amazon has everything you purchase stored in addition to whatever you already have. Apple's service is substandard if true.

 

[Small White Car]

You can be eternal optimist if you like.

For those who know how the recording industry thinks and works, we understand there is precisely zero chance of them EVER allowing Apple to potentially store and stream pirated works from their service. And there is no way for Apple to verify music uploaded outside of iTunes was legally acquired.

If you pay a monthly fee for this and if the labels get a cut of that* then they may not care if it's illegally acquired. You've already got the pirated music...here's a chance to make some money off that.

You act as if it's a hard sell to get the music labels to take money. It may yet happen.


* 2 'ifs' I admit. That's where the optomism comes in, I guess.

 

[Žalgiris]

Who would rebuy music just to use it on iCloud?

I wasn't implying that.