Apple Signs EMI, Cloud Music Deals Almost Done

155424 itunes cloudCNet reports that Apple has almost completed the agreements with the top four record companies to launch their cloud music offering.

Apple is closing in on obtaining the necessary agreements with the top four record companies that will enable the company to launch a fully licensed cloud-music service, according to sources with knowledge of the talks.

According to CNet, Warner Music Group and EMI Music deals are in place while Sony Music Group and Universal Music Group are "close" and could be completed by next week.

Both Amazon and Google have recently launched cloud-storage and music streaming services but without the record labels' consent. Apple is rumored to be including such a "digital locker" service in the next major version of iOS and has rumored to have purchased "iCloud.com" domain as the possible name for the service.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
top stories 2025 04 19

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, CarPlay Bug Fix, and More

Saturday April 19, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues. We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iPhone 17 ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...

Top Rated Comments

Full of Win Avatar
182 months ago
Just waiting for the "only iTunes purchased music" hammer to fall. When / if it does, this will be slightly more popular than Ping is currently.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LoganT Avatar
182 months ago
I won't use this service 'cause they'll make you pay for it, that's why mobile me failed.

No, MobileMe failed because Apple charged for something that was offered for free from Google, and wasn't as good as Google.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mdriftmeyer Avatar
182 months ago


Just waiting for the "only iTunes purchased music" hammer to fall. When / if it does, this will be slightly more popular than Ping is currently.

You should be in on the negotiations. Clearly, Apple is lost without your prognostications.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
philbeeney Avatar
182 months ago
Why do I have this feeling that once Apple has signed and closed these deals, Amazon and Google will be stung with a cease & desist from the RIAA for their cloud music efforts, leaving just Apple as the only place to go for cloud music.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kapangas Avatar
182 months ago
Sweet! I'm sure it'll be better than Google's and Amazon's :D
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
entropys Avatar
182 months ago


Really, anything short of being able to upload 80+ GB of non-iTunes music will elicit a big fat yawn from me. And I seriously doubt this will happen, so...can't say I'm too excited about iCloud.

Seriously?

How long would that take? And why chew bandwidth when Apple already has a copy of each of your songs on their servers?

The best solution would be that a list of your music in iTunes is given to Apple using some sort of software (we could call it genius) and then you just stream the song that is already stored on their servers.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)