Apple is in talks with the music industry about the advantages of a streaming music service that lets people listen to their tunes from anywhere an Internet connection is available. The report appears to jibe with another suggesting Apple could launch the ‘cloud’ service by June.
The Cupertino, Calif. company is telling publishers such streaming would reinvigorate sluggish sales from music downloads, according to CNET. The service reportedly will be called iTunes.com and is integral to Apple’s new strategy of boosting iTunes sales via numerous linked Web sites, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Earlier this week, Michael Robertson, former CEO of MP3.com and a veteran of the music download space, suggested Apple will quickly move iTunes onto a ‘cloud,’ via the recent purchase of streaming music firm Lala.
“The Lala upload technology will be bundled into a future iTunes upgrade which will automatically be installed for the 100+ million iTune users with a simple ‘An upgrade is available…” notification dailog box,” he predicted.
Apple already has made steps in Robertson’s direction. The company created the iTunes Preview Website, allowing people to see the music titles without installing the iTunes software. Following that, Apple enhanced the previews, permitting the Website to play 30-second sound clips.
[Via CNET and AppleInsider]
