Apple Reaches Cloud Music Deal With Sony, Universal Last Major Label Still to Sign

itunes 10 icon 150Following up on news from earlier this week regarding Apple having signed EMI Music to a deal to permit cloud-based music streaming of the label's content, Bloomberg now reports that Sony has reached a similar deal with Apple. With Warner Music Group having already agreed to a deal, Universal remains the lone holdout among the major labels, although sources indicate that Apple and Universal are close to a deal.

Apple has reached licensing accords with Sony Corp.'s music division, EMI Group and Warner Music Group, the people said. Universal Music Group, the largest recording company, is close to a deal, another person said. The company also would need to reach agreements with music publishers, which control different rights than the labels.

Sources have indicated to Bloomberg that Apple could preview the new cloud-based music streaming service at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco early next month. A public launch would presumably follow relatively soon thereafter.

Related Forum: Mac Apps

Popular Stories

m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple to Hide Selfie Camera Under Display of 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday November 10, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple will conceal the front-facing camera under the screen of its 2027 iPhone, a Chinese leaker said today, corroborating reports that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have no visible cutouts in the display. Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station said Apple's development of under-screen camera technology was progressing as planned for adoption in 2027, one year after it will...
iphone pocket%402x

Apple Debuts iPhone Pocket, a Limited Edition iPod Sock-Style Accessory

Tuesday November 11, 2025 1:23 am PST by
Apple has teamed up with Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE to launch iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted limited edition accessory designed to carry an iPhone, AirPods, and other everyday items. The accessory is like a stretchy pocket, not unlike an iPod Sock, but elongated to form a strap made of a ribbed, elastic textile that fully encloses an iPhone yet allows you to glimpse the display...
iphone air thinness

iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

Monday November 10, 2025 11:41 am PST by
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information. Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen. Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales...
homepod mini colors

New HomePod Mini Coming Soon With These Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 7:30 am PST by
Apple is expected to announce a new HomePod mini imminently, headlining with new chips. Here are all of the new features we're expecting. The second-generation HomePod mini is highly likely to contain a more up-to-date chip for more advanced computational audio and improved responsiveness. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. Apple is likely ...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Announces Launch of U.S. Passport Feature in iPhone's Wallet App

Wednesday November 12, 2025 9:15 am PST by
Apple today announced that iPhone users can now create a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app based on information from their U.S. passport. To create and present a Digital ID based on a U.S. passport, you need: An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.1 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26.1 or later Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on An Apple Account ...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Early Black Friday iPhone Deals

Monday November 10, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...
Early Black Friday Deals 1

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and More

Saturday November 8, 2025 6:16 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...

Top Rated Comments

Themaeds Avatar
189 months ago
People seem to have forgotten about ping, but Next to a new notification system, Ping is a major interest of mine. I think Ping is Apple's secret weapon they hope the competition has forgotten about.

They didnt forget about it...most people just call it Facebook
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Macsterguy Avatar
189 months ago
Just to know. In what way does the approach of google and apple differs when it comes to cloud music? Google has its cloud for music now too, so why does apple have to sign the labels?

I think with Apple, you would own your music. With Google you would rent your music... Unfortunately, most people just steal their music...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
caccamolle Avatar
189 months ago
it's not out yet, can't be sure of anything of course.

NONETHELESS I have been waiting for this forever.

Without some "cloud" implementation, managing music with multiple computers and locations is a gigantic PITA.

I am so looking forward and pray it's done right.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Maximilian H Avatar
189 months ago
I'm not quite sure what the Cloud music is, is it like you can listen to /download lots of songs with no limit if you pay some money monthly? Like Spotify?
If they allowed users to use it for free with ads just like Spotify does it'd be awesome.

Cloud music can be like Spotify or Amazon/Google Music.
Spotify offers lots of songs with no streaming limit if you pay some money monthly. Amazon and Google music offer a virtual hard drive which allows you to upload your (bought) music. The uploaded music can be streamed to your devices. I think that kind of service will Apple offer.

I hope Spotify will be soon available in Germany. I can hardly wait!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Maximilian H Avatar
189 months ago
It sounds nice but I think that I won't use the new service. I've got already a Spotify Premium account which is just amazing ;)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
duervo Avatar
189 months ago
Don't kid yourselves. Whenever Apple finally gets around to launching their iCloud offering, there will most assuredly be a clause in the EULA that states something about how they are not responsible for the security and stability of your data (music). They have to. There is just no way that they can realistically assume responsibility for the security and stability of all of that data. If any of it were lost for any reason (and bad things do and will happen at some point) they could be held liable for that lost data to their users without some type of clause in their user agreement.

That being said, I'm sure they'll have all sorts of redundancies built into everything, but things can still happen. To put a play on words of Apple's recent iPhone ads: If you don't have a backup ... well, you don't have a backup. (And Apple's iCloud product should not be treated as a backup.)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)