Apple Scaling Back Near-Term Plans for Cloud-Based iTunes?

[MacRumors]

CNET reports that Apple may be scaling back its initial plans for cloud-based iTunes offerings as it continues to struggle to reach agreements with record labels to allow users to stream their iTunes content from Apple's servers to a variety of Internet-connected devices. Apple has been thought to be placing a priority on developing the service since its acquisition of streaming music firm Lala Media last December.

But eight months after the acquisition, Apple is telling executives at the four top labels that if Apple offers any cloud-music features within the next few months, they will likely be "modest in scope" and not include the kind of functionality that Apple outlined in meetings with the labels, such as storing users' music on its servers, sources told CNET. They added that Apple still hasn't negotiated the kind of licensing deals it would need to distribute music from the cloud.

The report notes that while it is not clear exactly why Apple has been unable to make substantial progress on the cloud streaming initiative beyond ongoing struggles to bring music labels onboard, there does appear to be some uneasiness within the Lala Media team. One of Lala's founders who moved to Apple with the acquisition has reportedly left the company, while the Lala team has been said to be working on an undisclosed video feature rather than the music-related technology it was noted for prior to the acquisition.

Of course, a focus on video for the Lala team could mean that the company is concentrating its efforts more on cloud-based streaming of TV and movie content, an aspect of the initiative that had been hinted at earlier this year. The move would also align with Apple's rumored Apple TV revamp, which will reportedly see limited on-board storage in favor of a cloud-based streaming model.

Apple may also be waiting for its massive North Carolina data center to come online at the end of the year, as it seems likely to require the center's capabilities in order to deploy its cloud-based initiative.

Article Link: Apple Scaling Back Near-Term Plans for Cloud-Based iTunes?

 

[Tilpots]

Icon Fail.

 

[Small White Car]

How do you even vote on this story?

Some things might happen...or maybe something totally different. Unless not.

I think I'll abstain from this one.

 

[Voytech]

With services such as Pandora, Slacker or Rhapsody, I don't know if iTunes can compete. So it would let me stream music I already own to various devices. What's the fun in that? On the go I have the iPhone/Pod which has my own music. At home I have the iMac streaming to my AV setup, and I'm sure many have apple tv's. I'm pretty much covered. I don't need a centralized storage for music. Now, if they want a subscription based offering with access to all of their music, sure. I'll bite. But that's already out with Rhapsody.

 

[ogminlo]

I keep seeing this speculation that the NC datacenter will underpin streaming iTunes. Doesn't wash for me. You don't build your own CDN with a monolithic datacenter that is relatively distant from major population areas. Streaming media is ideally served from geographically diverse sites that are positioned near major population centers to minimize latency in stream delivery to end user. Maybe Apple is also building that more quietly, and maybe some significant part of the NC datacenter will be involved in iTunes, but I suspect NC will be used for something more like a MobileMe-style service for warehousing iOS cloud sync that does not have the latency performance requirements of a streaming iTunes service.

 

[pcorajr]

This is why I hate that Apple acquired lala, I loved that service, they already had the agreements in place but now that Apple dissolved them they have to go about re instating those agreements.

 

[Data]

All I'm interested in is being able to stream the content of my computer at home to my devices when I'm on the road over the apple servers, i don't wanna store it in a cloud at all, so i hope they will do that instead ( like simplify media did ).

 

[NebulaClash]

With services such as Pandora, Slacker or Rhapsody, I don't know if iTunes can compete. So it would let me stream music I already own to various devices. What's the fun in that? On the go I have the iPhone/Pod which has my own music. At home I have the iMac streaming to my AV setup, and I'm sure many have apple tv's. I'm pretty much covered. I don't need a centralized storage for music. Now, if they want a subscription based offering with access to all of their music, sure. I'll bite. But that's already out with Rhapsody.

iTunes is already dominant in the marketplace, just not with streaming or subscriptions. So if Apple adds either or both to iTunes, iTunes will compete very well with those other services simply because so many people have invested so much in their iTunes libraries. This would merely extend the functionality in new ways. Automatic success simply because of Apple's market share in the music world.

 

[Voytech]

iTunes is already dominant in the marketplace, just not with streaming or subscriptions. So if Apple adds either or both to iTunes, iTunes will compete very well with those other services simply because so many people have invested so much in their iTunes libraries. This would merely extend the functionality in new ways. Automatic success simply because of Apple's market share in the music world.

Sure, they could get a bigger "bite" of the market just because they have a ton of users already on board. I'll agree there. But looking at the mediocre success of Rhapsody, I can't really see it becoming a big money maker. Like I said, 80% of people would be streaming on-the-go, which makes little sense since you already have the content with you.

Now, if they do Video. That's a different story.

 

[Morod]

I like clouds.
But I don't want my music stored on one.

 

[brianadkins]

PC-less iPad

Here's what I want...

To be able to give my mom an iPad and have her never need to attach it to a computer, yet still get:

• ability to get content (I know... already exists)
• backup existing content to the could
• apply iOS updates as they get pushed out

She lives in a different state, has a crappy old Dell laptop, and would be much better off with an iPad instead for email/facebook/viewing pics of grandkids

... I could really care less about streaming content from the cloud at this point...

 

[Stella]

The vast majority of people are not ready for a cloud version of their iTunes library. Why? Due to insufficient / expensive bandwidth requirements.

Nice idea - but a little ahead of its time to be practical.

 

[Shanpdx]

5 weeks to iPod event

let the rumor engine start! (or the non rumor ones to start)

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Odd how a rumor based on another rumor is deemed by some as "fail." I think their comment is fail.

Regardless, it's clear after the Mobile me intro disaster followed by the iP4 brewha, Apple is likely to be more gun shy about bold launches in the future. The irony is that while all the Droid fanboys do their h8 number on Apple, the reality is Droid is a copy of iPhone. W/o Apple there would never have been Android. Moto phones were one step in the grave before Android and HTC was a clear 2bit player.

And for those that wonder if iTunes can compete against Slacker, Pandora, etc. Huh?

 

[Tones2]

I JUST WANT MORE STORAGE, DARN IT! I don't want a streaming cloud based service of any kind. With stricter bandwidth limitations imposed and pretty crappy AT&T coverage in many areas, I want my media on my device. So give me a 128GB iPhone and all of this is moot. I'll pay the premium for the additional storage - I just want that OPTION.

Tony

 

[Shanpdx]

Software Quality is the slippery slope

APPLE if it is not ready, DO NOT release it...

we iPhone 3G owners have wi-fi issues with iOS 4.01 with out fix waiting waiting waiting ...

 

[spazzcat]

With services such as Pandora, Slacker or Rhapsody, I don't know if iTunes can compete. So it would let me stream music I already own to various devices. What's the fun in that? On the go I have the iPhone/Pod which has my own music. At home I have the iMac streaming to my AV setup, and I'm sure many have apple tv's. I'm pretty much covered. I don't need a centralized storage for music. Now, if they want a subscription based offering with access to all of their music, sure. I'll bite. But that's already out with Rhapsody.

I use Pandora so much now, I got a subscription. I can't remember the last time I bought something that wasn't an app from iTunes. I use Pandora in my house, car and at work.

 

[goatless]

All I'm interested in is being able to stream the content of my computer at home to my devices when I'm on the road over the apple servers, i don't wanna store it in a cloud at all, so i hope they will do that instead ( like simplify media did ).

+1

I want the same. And I don't want to have to upload my 40 gigs of myTunes over my lowly DSL. Sure, put the metadata up there in the cloud, but not the data.

I miss SimplifyMedia They were just becoming reliable when they were acquired.

 

[morespce54]

All I really want to do is be able to stream any media (music and video) from any device to any other device (at least within my network) and be able to control it from any device with no muss no fuss.

Now that could be an Apple App (and an iApp) or (the next revision of) an TV for what I care...

 

[Small White Car]

The vast majority of people are not ready for a cloud version of their iTunes library. Why? Due to insufficient / expensive bandwidth requirements.

Nice idea - but a little ahead of its time to be practical.

I'm always reading about people around here who use Pandora all the time. How do they do it?

 

[gwen1]

"With services such as Pandora, Slacker or Rhapsody, I don't know if iTunes can compete. So it would let me stream music I already own to various devices. What's the fun in that?"
- Voytech
Agreed. Apple prides itself on reinventing the wheel, but...is it really marketable or are they just going on their name brand power? Of course that always pulls Apple through to a massive success, so what else is there to say?

 

[spazzcat]

I'm always reading about people around here who use Pandora all the time. How do they do it?

I do it with my iPhone and computer. I use my iPhone at work and in my car. I have Ford Sync, so I can stream Pandora through blutooth audio. And use my computer at home.

 

[Small White Car]

I do it with my iPhone and computer. I use my iPhone at work and in my car. I have Ford Sync, so I can stream Pandora through blutooth audio. And use my computer at home.

I was asking why, if bandwidth is not sufficient for a streaming iTunes, it is sufficient for people to use Pandora. It was in regards to an earlier quote from someone else.

 

[ihaveNFC]

At least Apple is playing the safe card on this one.

 

[kernkraft]

At least we have Spotify. I bet that record labels want more money from the Americans, that's why they cannot launch their US operation. Or slow internet connection and overloaded 3G networks could be blamed.


Actually, I just remembered that in the US, the Zune comes with some special music deal...