Apple Signs EMI, Cloud Music Deals Almost Done - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Signs EMI, Cloud Music Deals Almost Done

155424 itunes cloudCNet reports that Apple has almost completed the agreements with the top four record companies to launch their cloud music offering.

Apple is closing in on obtaining the necessary agreements with the top four record companies that will enable the company to launch a fully licensed cloud-music service, according to sources with knowledge of the talks.

According to CNet, Warner Music Group and EMI Music deals are in place while Sony Music Group and Universal Music Group are "close" and could be completed by next week.

Both Amazon and Google have recently launched cloud-storage and music streaming services but without the record labels' consent. Apple is rumored to be including such a "digital locker" service in the next major version of iOS and has rumored to have purchased "iCloud.com" domain as the possible name for the service.

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Wednesday July 29, 2026 11:39 am PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system that is essentially a mix of tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report this week, he said the operating system will feature a grid of icons, widgets, and apps, along with customizable clock faces. The new software platform is intended for Apple's long-rumored smart home hub. With built-in facial recognition,...
imac video apple feature

Apple Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever This Year

Wednesday July 29, 2026 12:03 pm PDT by
Apple this year acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014. This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019. Q.ai...
Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra: Pre-Orders and Release Date

Thursday July 30, 2026 6:12 am PDT by
Apple has yet to reveal when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra will be announced and released, but the dates usually follow a familiar pattern. Labor Day is September 7 this year. The last time the holiday fell on that day was in 2020, but the iPhone event that year was delayed until October due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the last time Labor Day was on September 7 in a normal year was in ...

Top Rated Comments

Full of Win Avatar
198 months ago
Just waiting for the "only iTunes purchased music" hammer to fall. When / if it does, this will be slightly more popular than Ping is currently.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
198 months ago
I won't use this service 'cause they'll make you pay for it, that's why mobile me failed.

No, MobileMe failed because Apple charged for something that was offered for free from Google, and wasn't as good as Google.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mdriftmeyer Avatar
198 months ago


Just waiting for the "only iTunes purchased music" hammer to fall. When / if it does, this will be slightly more popular than Ping is currently.

You should be in on the negotiations. Clearly, Apple is lost without your prognostications.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
philbeeney Avatar
198 months ago
Why do I have this feeling that once Apple has signed and closed these deals, Amazon and Google will be stung with a cease & desist from the RIAA for their cloud music efforts, leaving just Apple as the only place to go for cloud music.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
198 months ago
Sweet! I'm sure it'll be better than Google's and Amazon's :D
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
entropys Avatar
198 months ago


Really, anything short of being able to upload 80+ GB of non-iTunes music will elicit a big fat yawn from me. And I seriously doubt this will happen, so...can't say I'm too excited about iCloud.

Seriously?

How long would that take? And why chew bandwidth when Apple already has a copy of each of your songs on their servers?

The best solution would be that a list of your music in iTunes is given to Apple using some sort of software (we could call it genius) and then you just stream the song that is already stored on their servers.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors