Brian GarnerAccording to multiple sources in the music industry, Apple has been shopping around the idea of a streaming music service that would allow users the ability to back up and access their music from any Internet-connected device. CNET writes that Apple sees the cloud-based streaming feature as a "value add" that could help to stimulate music download sales.
All indications point to the service being up and running as soon as spring of this year.
On Tuesday, Michael Robertson, 12-year veteran of the digital music business and former CEO of MP3.com predicted that a cloud-based version of iTunes would soon be a reality:
"An upcoming major revision of iTunes will copy each user's catalog to the net making it available from any browser or net connected ipod/touch/tablet," he wrote.
"The Lala upload technology will be bundled into a future iTunes upgrade which will automatically be installed for the 100+ million iTunes users with a simple 'An upgrade is available…' notification dialog box."
"After installation iTunes will push in the background their entire media library to their personal mobile iTunes area. Once loaded, users will be able to navigate and play their music, videos and playlists from their personal URL using a browser based iTunes experience."
In December, Apple purchased music streaming service Lala for $85 million. It is believed that Apple will use the knowledge and technology gained from this acquisition in order to make the streaming music service a reality.
Apple has already leveraged some degree of Lala's streaming tech, with 30-second song samples being available on the iTunes Preview website, allowing users to view and listen to content available from the service without opening iTunes.
CNET writes that it is unlikely but not impossible that Apple will include the streaming service in their upcoming January 27 press event. It is widely believed however, that Apple will introduce both its new tablet device along with iPhone OS 4.0.
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Arrgh. Another Lala article, another ambiguous statement about streaming an 'entire library' from the cloud. Does this include music outside of the tracks one buys from iTMS (such as ripped CDs)?
Multiple music industry sources tell CNET that Apple execs have met with the four major music labels about a possible free-of-charge music streaming service.
"After installation iTunes will push in the background their entire media library to their personal mobile iTunes area. Once loaded, users will be able to navigate and play their music, videos and playlists from their personal URL using a browser based iTunes experience."
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
More like Apple bundles this into MobileMe to allow paying members access to their music collection over the web, either streaming from their home device (TimeCapsule/AppleTV) or from their MobileMe accounts online. I would LOVE to have this functionality so that I don't have to load down my laptop and iPhone with my entire music collection. Most everywhere I go has a decent Internet connection, and my connection at home uploads at 5Mbps sustained, sufficient enough to stream music anywhere I want over the web.
But I don't see how or why Apple would invest the amount of money it would need to to store hundreds of millions of users' iTunes collections without being able to monetize it somehow, or at least generate some kind of incremental revenue or market share by doing so. The feature is nice, but I don't see how it improves their market position, so why spend the $$$ to make it free. This is Apple, not Google.
What do the Music Labels (with 5 RIAA lawyers in top spots in the US Justice Dept.) gets out of this deal so Apple can eliminate superdrives and hard drives out of it's devices and sell us less machine with a high monthly subscription in order to access our purchased content?
This has been available from a many Apps for the iPhone for at least the last year.
My home Internet Access is faster than I get currently for streaming a lousy 30 second song. I get my full iTunes library and it's faster and free to stream it from my home machine.
This has already been done by numerous apps. Apple and AI are really reaching if this is going to be introduced as "innovative" for the announcement tomorrow.
Been there done that and it's already Free and faster than Apple can deliver.
Two of the three previous posters miss the point. The service is free if you have uploaded your library from the hard drive.
I feel mixed about this. The advantages:
-the service is free
-the service will stream the music you already own if iTunes has it
the disadvantages:
-piracy will allow users to upload any content they wish without paying for it
-will not allow users to find new music because it's just the content you own
I would rather have the streaming service just because I own the music that has influenced me. I would be willing to pay for a subscription service so I can find new music without feeling I'm taking a risk on owning it.
Tha being said I understand both sides of the argument.