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

apple store down feature

Here's Why the Apple Store is Going Down

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products. Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
streaming black friday 2025

Best Black Friday Streaming Deals - Save Big on Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and More

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:14 pm PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
New Intel Logo

Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027. Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air Flop Sparks Industry Retreat From Ultra-Thin Phones

Thursday November 27, 2025 3:14 am PST by
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia. Since the ‌iPhone Air‌ launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production. Apple supplier Foxconn has...
streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
General Apps Messages Redux

Singapore Orders Changes to iMessage by December

Tuesday November 25, 2025 6:39 am PST by
Singapore has ordered Apple to block or filter messages on iMessage that impersonate government agencies, requiring the company to implement new anti-spoofing protections by December as part of efforts to curb rising online scams, the Straits Times reports. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that it had issued an Implementation Directive to Apple under the Online Criminal Harms...

Top Rated Comments

HawaiiMacAddict Avatar
191 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
191 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
191 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
191 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
191 months ago
News news and more news about this... Just make it official already!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Piggie Avatar
191 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)