Apple's streaming music service could arrive in July

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
With its recent acquisition of streaming music service Lala, Apple is working toward launching its own streaming iTunes solution to debut as soon as the third quarter of 2010.



CNet's Greg Sandoval reported Wednesday that Apple plans to unveil its streaming music service later this year. That news will come as a disappointment to any who may have held out hope that the company would launch a service close to the debut of the iPad, set to go on sale this Saturday.



"Some had hoped such as service might arrive when Apple unveiled the iPad tablet in January, but it was a no-show," Sandoval wrote. "That same month, Apple executives spoke to the major record labels about enabling people to store their music on the company's servers and access their songs with Web-enabled devices. At that point, music-industry insiders speculated that Apple's new service might debut early this year.



"Besides a later-than-hoped-for start to Apple's streaming, all of this also means that music--which has typically played an important role in most of Apple's culture-changing devices--will be bumped to the sidelines with the iPad."



Instead, Apple will focus the iPad on visuals, with movies, games, books and newspapers being the "must have" applications for the new hardware form factor. But even with Hollywood studios, Apple reportedly hasn't done much in the way of encouraging new and unique content. One film executive reportedly said that their company was sent an iPad "to fool around with," but nothing else.



In January, it was first reported that Apple was shopping around the idea of a streaming music service that would allow users to back up and access their library from any Internet connected device.Apple reportedly sees the cloud-based streaming as a "value add" feature that could help stimulate sales.



In December, Apple acquired music service Lala for $85 million, fueling speculation of a possible cloud-based iTunes streaming service. Since then, Apple has also gradually expanded its browser-based iTunes Preview service, which allows users to search and sample songs, as well as applications, available in iTunes without launching the desktop application.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Apple executives spoke to the major record labels about enabling people to store their music on the company's servers and access their songs with Web-enabled devices.



    Before this gets blown out of hand, this DOES NOT mean you won't maintain your own localized media files or be able to load your media files will not be on your iDevice.



    This service will will likely work like other mass storage solutions like Dropbox, Gmail and Exchange where one file on a server is tied to multiple users for streaming so that they only need to keep one copy of the song on their DB, not allocate space for each user's individual iTunes Library DB.



    How will they handle audio you didn't buy from iTune, video in any regard,and cost are the only unknowns I see here.
  • Reply 2 of 17
    mrkoolaidmrkoolaid Posts: 106member
    Quote:

    Since then, Apple has also gradually expanded its browser-based iTunes Preview service, which allows users to search and sample songs, as well as applications, available in iTunes without launching the desktop application.



    I love to sample Applications. Nobody does it better than Apple.
  • Reply 3 of 17
    mrkoolaidmrkoolaid Posts: 106member
    Don't they mean Layla?
  • Reply 4 of 17
    joelsaltjoelsalt Posts: 827member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mrkoolaid View Post


    I love to sample Applications. Nobody does it better than Apple.



    great schtick, top shelf
  • Reply 5 of 17
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mrkoolaid View Post


    I love to sample Applications. Nobody does it better than Apple.



    LOLing over here
  • Reply 6 of 17
    justflybobjustflybob Posts: 1,337member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mrkoolaid View Post


    Don't they mean Layla?



    No, silly. That was a song by Derek and the Dominos.
  • Reply 7 of 17
    ilogicilogic Posts: 298member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Before this gets blown out of hand, this DOES NOT mean you won't maintain your own localized media files or be able to load your media files will not be on your iDevice.



    This service will will likely work like other mass storage solutions like Dropbox, Gmail and Exchange where one file on a server is tied to multiple users for streaming so that they only need to keep one copy of the song on their DB, not allocate space for each user's individual iTunes Library DB.



    How will they handle audio you didn't buy from iTune, video in any regard,and cost are the only unknowns I see here.



    It's not confirmed how it actually works! - but still good point...



    Apple is in high gear with Quattro, A4 chips, LaLa, iPad, they're firing on all cannons!
  • Reply 8 of 17
    spotonspoton Posts: 645member
    Likely the streaming will only be for locked down devices like the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch etc.



    Not open devices where one can buy third party software and rip the stream.



    Of course one could jailbreak their device, but your fighting Apple all the way after that.
  • Reply 9 of 17
    cory bauercory bauer Posts: 1,286member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    With its recent acquisition of streaming music service Lala, Apple is working toward launching its own streaming iTunes solution to debut as soon as the third quarter of 2010.



    Doesn't the third fiscal quarter start tomorrow? It seems very strange for CNET to run an article the day before the 3rd quarter starts, claiming that it's unlikely that the service will arrive before tomorrow.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by CNET


    Music industry sources told CNET this week Apple has informed label managers that a streaming music service is unlikely to be ready before the third quarter.



    Unless of course they're not referring to fiscal quarters, but in that case how did AppleInsider conclude that the service could arrive in July, specifically? The third quarter of the calendar year could be July, August, or September.
  • Reply 10 of 17
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpotOn View Post


    Likely the streaming will only be for locked down devices like the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch etc.



    Not open devices where one can buy third party software and rip the stream.



    Of course one could jailbreak their device, but your fighting Apple all the way after that.



    That does make sense from Apple's standpoint and the biggest issue still seems to be and will likely be for the foreseeable future that iDevices can't hold your entire library.



    But don't forget Lala, which allows for streaming from websites.
  • Reply 11 of 17
    sheffsheff Posts: 1,407member
    If you stream you don't own, if you own you don't stream. If you stream without owning you will be "charged" through commercials. It would work out nicely to discover new music that you can then buy and listen to without commercial breaks. Sounds like a good idea.
  • Reply 12 of 17
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    iTunes.com
  • Reply 13 of 17
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sheff View Post


    If you stream you don't own, if you own you don't stream. If you stream without owning you will be "charged" through commercials. It would work out nicely to discover new music that you can then buy and listen to without commercial breaks. Sounds like a good idea.



    Perhaps you can upload what you do own and stream. That way your large collection from your Mac is available on the iPad even when out of the home.
  • Reply 14 of 17
    mrkoolaidmrkoolaid Posts: 106member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    Perhaps you can upload what you do own and stream. That way your large collection from your Mac is available on the iPad even when out of the home.



    Already have that with iDisk app, Apple MobileMe was first with cloud.
  • Reply 15 of 17
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    iTunes.com



    I don't think that is too far off. They've never used the name expect to redirect to apple.com's iTunes page, they've migrating iTunes Store in iTunes to WebKit and have been upgrading their iTunes Preview pages with more functionality.
  • Reply 16 of 17
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Before this gets blown out of hand, this DOES NOT mean you won't maintain your own localized media files or be able to load your media files will not be on your iDevice.



    This service will will likely work like other mass storage solutions like Dropbox, Gmail and Exchange where one file on a server is tied to multiple users for streaming so that they only need to keep one copy of the song on their DB, not allocate space for each user's individual iTunes Library DB.



    Chances are this will ONLY work with music purchased via iTunes (which is the ONLY music that Apple will know you legally own). You'd be able to stream your previous iTunes purchases from Apple's servers. Maybe they'll even offer a subscription service similar to Rhapsody (those 2 dirty words, "subscription service").
  • Reply 17 of 17
    bc kellybc kelly Posts: 148member
    .



    To look at "streaming" and "the cloud" and iPad/Phone/Tunes/Store/Apple ... etc etc



    Wise man sees the New Server Farm in NoCarolina as a Major Player?

    .



    C'mon Folks ... is 2010 ... you know what to expect



    Dave already told us ... "Something Wonderful"



    And Biden was right ... "This is a big f'king deal"



    .



    BC
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