Apple Inks Deal With Warner Music for Cloud-Based Storage Rights?

162629 itunes 10 icon 150

Just as Apple's cloud-based music storage service has been said to be ready to go amid claims that Apple has inked two of the four major record labels to deals permitting the service, CNET now reports that Apple has reached a deal with Warner Music Group (WMG) in support of the plan.

Apple has an agreement with Warner Music Group to offer the record label's tracks on iTunes' upcoming cloud-music service, music industry sources said.

In the race to the cloud, Apple is apparently stepping on the gas. All Things Digital reported Thursday that Apple has signed two of the top four record companies. ATD reported that Apple content chief Eddy Cue was due to fly to New York on Friday to try and finalize agreements with the two labels that were still unsigned.

It is unclear whether Warner was one of those two that had previously licensed Apple or whether the label inked a new agreement on Friday.

The report notes that WMG is the third largest record label in the United States, joining Universal, Sony, and EMI in the group of major players that sets the tone for the industry. WMG may be the most important agreement, however, as the label has reportedly been the "fly in the ointment" that has caused both Spotify and Google issues in neogtiating their own music deals.

It is not yet known when Apple plans to introduce the new cloud-based service, but the company appears to be racing full speed ahead toward a launch.

Tag: CNET
Related Forum: Mac Apps

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...

Top Rated Comments

HawaiiMacAddict Avatar
192 months ago
That's the $1,000,000 question, isn't it? Most of use have lots of music from other than iTunes sources, so it remains to be seen exactly how, or if, this rumored music locker will be implemented. I wonder how Apple will coordinate the varying tags we have put on our music. In other words, I have some music that was tagged as World Music that I later retagged differently, as it made more sense to me with respect to the way I want to organize my music. If these tags don't match up with what Apple holds, will that become a problem? We'll just have to wait and see what Apple introduces.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Moyank24 Avatar
192 months ago
Yup, same for me.

Have never bought a single tune from iTunes and never will.
Have never bought a single video from iTunes and never will.

I have bought Apps, as that's the only legal way to get software onto my iPad.

I've never bought any video from the Xbox Marketplace, and only every bought 1 cheap game from the Xbox marketplace.

I've never bought one thing from the PS3 Playstation online store.

I've never bought anything from STEAM online either.

I've never bought any eBooks either.

Sadly however, I will just have to stand back and watch the sheep buying virtual media blindly taking us all to the slaughter house, where eventually the media will be in full control of all the date we own, and eventually there will be almost no physical media left for sale, to give to friends/family/charity, swap with friends/family, or sell on to people/shops to get money back to purchase a new item.

As we do with cars, houses, computers, anything else we buy.

Sadly this seems so far away for many (well it's not happening today) that they can't see this inevitable outcome.

Just because you don't believe in something, doesn't make everyone who does a "sheep".

Your views, while interesting, may be a bit misguided. You can download an album, copy it to a CD and share it with friends and family. Charity? Really? Do you really donate CD's to charity?

As far as books, you can look at it a few different ways. No, you can't sell them back. But if we are talking about new releases especially, you are also paying half the price for an e-book. So the investment, even if you are able to sell back to a used book store ends up being about break even. For me, and a lot of people I know, including my baby boomer mother, e-books have made it easier to read. I've read more on my iPhone and iPad in the last year than in the previous decade probably. And that is a good thing.

Of course, everyone has different uses for these things. But just because you don't doesn't make it worthless for everyone else.

And frankly, I'm in more control over my e-books and music than I am over my house, which technically the bank owns for another 25 years. Same with my 2 cars. Good for you if you own your house and cars outright...but not the best example in the world.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BLUELION Avatar
192 months ago
Typical...

Reality check...Apple, like Amazon, like Google are businesses and they are out to make money in some form or another. Having said that, it is likely they may charge for this service but it is more likely they will offer this as a free service to entice you to sign up for something like an enhanced version of mobile me.

Besides, the service is not required. it is optional. If you don't want to use it, the answer is don't. That simple.

One thing missing from all the rumours.

The amount Apple will rip you off for it!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacManTexas56 Avatar
192 months ago
Typical MacRumors. Milk a story to DEATH in one day. Yeah, we get it!

Tony

then if you already got it, why are you replying?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ciTiger Avatar
192 months ago
News news and more news about this... Just make it official already!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Piggie Avatar
192 months ago
Just because you don't believe in something, doesn't make everyone who does a "sheep".

Your views, while interesting, may be a bit misguided. You can download an album, copy it to a CD and share it with friends and family. Charity? Really? Do you really donate CD's to charity?

As far as books, you can look at it a few different ways. No, you can't sell them back. But if we are talking about new releases especially, you are also paying half the price for an e-book. So the investment, even if you are able to sell back to a used book store ends up being about break even. For me, and a lot of people I know, including my baby boomer mother, e-books have made it easier to read. I've read more on my iPhone and iPad in the last year than in the previous decade probably. And that is a good thing.

Of course, everyone has different uses for these things. But just because you don't doesn't make it worthless for everyone else.

And frankly, I'm in more control over my e-books and music than I am over my house, which technically the bank owns for another 25 years. Same with my 2 cars. Good for you if you own your house and cars outright...but not the best example in the world.
Yes, I know things are not as I state "Now"
"Now" we can still buy music on CD's, Films on DVD's and BluRays, Books make from tree's etc etc.

Now, outside the "Apple tech" corner of the world, things are still happily as they were and people who work hard, buy things, get physical things for their money, and when they have finished with them, they are free to do with them as they wish.

I can, for example, on a Sunday go down to my Car Boot Sale, in the US I believe it's called a Flea Market, and buy from other individuals their unwanted CD's, Movies, Games, Books second hand.

We are free to do this.

Many old people (and yes we will all be old one day) don't have the money to spend $5, $10, $15 on one book to read at home for example.

I admit, it's all cool, hip, trendy and sci-fi to pay online, stream from the cloud in your wifi enabled area's ect ect.

I just don't like what I can see as the inevitable future of all of this.

Companies will love the ideas of virtual media that costs them nothing to duplicate, many people made unemployed who have livings all tied up with physical items, and every single person has to pay the full new price for every single item they want, and perhaps also pay again when they wish to change from one make of device to another.

Will we be given free rights to move on-line purchased content onto other makes/models of viewing device in the future, or will be be expected to buy the same thing again? And, or course, not be able to sell our old collection as it's non transferable.

So, (as a real world example) you would not be allowed to sell your DVD collection to partially fund a new BluRay collection. Your BluRay player, would of course still be able to play your DVD's if you wanted to keep them.

It's not so much that I don't "Believe" in it. I just think that many people are blind to the inevitable end result and only then will they actually realise when it's too late.

I am all for online purchased of data, but there are safeguards and rights for consumers that need to be put into place that don't exist now.

Your right to use the data on different devices once you have purchased it.
If data is locked to one makers device, then that data should be very very cheap to compensate you for this limitation.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)