Amazon Launches Cloud-Based Storage Service and Music Player
Amazon today unveiled a pair of cloud-based offerings designed to allow users to store music and other digital content in the cloud and to play cloud-hosted music tracks via players for the Web and on Android.
Amazon Cloud Drive is the new storage service, with the company offering users 5 GB of space free of charge. Additional capacity is available through paid plans at six different tiers priced at a uniform $1 per GB per year, starting at 20 GB ($20) and ranging up to 1000 GB ($1000).
As a bonus offer, customers who purchase an album from the Amazon MP3 Store before December 31st will receive a free one-year upgrade to the 20 GB level. In addition, any music content purchased through the Amazon MP3 Store and stored in Amazon Cloud Drive does not count toward a user's storage limit.
Amazon Cloud Player is the mechanism by which music stored in Amazon Cloud Drive can be played. The company offers a Web player compatible with Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari, targeting both PCs and Macs. In addition, Amazon offers a downloadable app for Android devices to allow content to played on the mobile platform. Other mobile platforms such as iOS, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone are not supported, and the Web player does not function under iOS, rendering Apple's mobile devices incompatible with the service.
Apple has been rumored to be developing its own cloud-based "digital locker" solution focused on music and perhaps video, reportedly coming as a revamp to the company's MobileMe services. According to one recent report, Apple has finally reached a deal with Warner Brothers to permit the cloud-based storage and is pushing to get other labels to fall in line for an April launch of the new service, said to be priced at $20 per year for an undisclosed amount of storage space.
Popular Stories
Apple is looking for a "breakthrough" with its push into wearable AI devices, including an "AirTag-sized pendant," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In a report this week, he said the pendant is reminiscent of the failed Humane AI Pin, but it would be an iPhone accessory rather than a standalone product.
The pendant would feature an "always-on" camera and a microphone for Siri voice...
Apple today announced a "special Apple Experience" in New York, London, and Shanghai, taking place on March 4, 2026 at 9:00am ET.
Apple invited select members of the media to the event in three major cities around the world. It is simply described as a "special Apple Experience," and there is no further information about what it may entail. The invitation features a 3D Apple logo design...
New trade-in data indicates that Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max has rapidly become the single most traded-in smartphone.
According to a new report from SellCell, Apple's latest flagship iPhone has quickly risen to the top of the independent trade-in market, accounting for 11.5% of all devices appearing in the top-20 trade-in rankings just months after release. The analysis is based on SellCell...
Back at WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that it was planning to allow CarPlay users to watch video via AirPlay in their vehicles while they are not driving, and the first beta of iOS 26.4 suggests the feature may be nearing availability.
There are several new references to CarPlay video streaming functionality within the iOS 26.4 beta's source code. The feature is not yet visible to users, but...
Apple will announce its rumored low-cost MacBook at its event on March 4, with the device coming in a selection of bold color options, according to a known leaker.
Earlier this week, Apple announced a "special Apple Experience" for the media in New York, London, and Shanghai, taking place on March 4, 2026 at 9:00am ET.
Posting on Weibo, the leaker known as "Instant Digital" said that the...
