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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.
Top Rated Comments
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.
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!
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?
Just because you don't believe in something, doesn't make everyone who does a "sheep".
Yes, I know things are not as I state "Now"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.
"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.