The Wall Street Journal has reported additional information on the cloud service, including the status of Apple’s agreements with major music labels. iCloud, which Steve Jobs is expected to announce in conjunction with iOS 5 and Mac OS X Lion, is described in part as a digital musical locker, similar to Amazon’s Cloud Player and the new Google Music. The difference, according to the Journal, is that Apple has struck deals with the record labels that will make it easier for users to access their libraries.
Both Google Music and Amazon Cloud Player require users to upload their existing music libraries to the services before content can be streamed or accessed from a second ary machine. Amazon does automatically store new Amazon MP3 purchases in a users Cloud Player library, but any Amazon purchases made before the Cloud Player account was activated need to be uploaded manually.
What Apple will be doing — according to the Wall Street Journal — is what is known as “scan and match.” In essence, a user’s computer or iTunes library will be scanned for song files that are recognized by the music labels. Then, rather than uploading those files to a server, users will gain access to those tracks or albums from other compatible devices.
Whether or not iCloud’s scan and match feature will extend beyond files purchased from the iTunes Music Store isn’t clear, but we have a hunch that users will have the ability to instantly access all of their past iTunes music purchases using the service.
Apple certainly has the ability to give users access to the entirity of their iTunes Musi c accounts. About two...
