Music Labels Hoping Apple Can Force Amazon and Google Into Cloud Licensing

114207 itunes player 10 screenshot 500

With Amazon and now Google having rolled out cloud-based music hosting services without the consent of music labels, CNET reports that the labels are reportedly now looking for Apple to become the driving force to bring those companies back to the negotiating table for broader licensing deals.

Since neither company was either able or willing to obtain licenses from the four major labels, neither of them could deliver the same range of options that Apple will be able to offer with its upcoming cloud service, according to multiple music industry sources.

Exactly what those options are, the sources wouldn't say. Nonetheless, the hope in the music industry is that Apple's music service will make the competing offerings look shabby by comparison and force Amazon and Google to pay the licensing rates the labels are asking.

The major labels are reportedly hoping that Apple plans to unveil its licensed version of cloud-based music hosting at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) set for early next month, moving quickly to market with what many hope will be a superior offering before Amazon and Google's services can become entrenched.

Tag: CNET
Related Forum: Mac Apps

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
Apple Watch Series 9

2024 Apple Watch Lineup: Key Changes We're Expecting

Tuesday July 16, 2024 7:59 am PDT by
Apple is seemingly planning a rework of the Apple Watch lineup for 2024, according to a range of reports from over the past year. Here's everything we know so far. Apple is expected to continue to offer three different Apple Watch models in five casing sizes, but the various display sizes will allegedly grow by up to 12% and the casings will get taller. Based on all of the latest rumors,...
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...

Top Rated Comments

miles01110 Avatar
172 months ago
I read the title of this article as, "Music Labels still struggling to remain relevant."
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
emuneee Avatar
172 months ago
Glad that the music labels are finally siding with Apple. It will be better for iOS users in the long run.

Get out of your iOS box and realize is even worse for music fans in the long run. Amazon/Google/<insert cloud service company here> should NOT have to pay licensing fees to labels to store user owned music. The music labels need to adapt and not hold on to old paradigms. Can't wait for the day when they (music labels) are completely irrelevant.

I'm interested in the deal (terms and conditions) Apple signs with the labels, however.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dagamer34 Avatar
172 months ago
So empower Apple and loose even more control? So very short-sighted!

And 1 year later, they'll be giving Google and Amazon sweeter deals because Apple is too powerful.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dethmaShine Avatar
172 months ago
Get out of your iOS box and realize is even worse for music fans in the long run. Amazon/Google/<insert cloud service company here> should NOT have to pay licensing fees to labels to store user owned music. The music labels need to adapt and not hold on to old paradigms. Can't wait for the day when they (music labels) are completely irrelevant.

I'm interested in the deal (terms and conditions) Apple signs with the labels, however.

Agreed.

Good thing Amazon crunched those bastards.

If Apple licenses, then good. But they must be working on something else rather than giving ******** of storage to copy music and stream.

Apple had already done this long before Google and Amazon entered, through MobileMe playback.

I think, Apple is going to think different and act differently. ;)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Thataboy Avatar
172 months ago
Oh how the worm has turned!!

It seems like just yesterday that the labels looked to Amazon as the savior to break Apple's dominance.

Now they are RELYING on Apple's dominance to break Amazon!

I bet this makes Apple twitch with happiness.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
-Ken- Avatar
172 months ago
I read the title of this article as, "Music Labels still struggling to remain relevant."

Thats what I got out of it too.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)