CNET is reporting that Apple will most likely be charging customers to use Apple servers to store and stream their music to their internet connected devices such as an iPhone or iPad.
Writer Greg Sandoval stated:
Music industry insiders told me that Apple has indicated it could offer the service free of charge initially but that company will eventually require a fee. Google is also expected to charge for a similar service.
Many are believing this to be a feature of a revamped MobileMe cloud service for the possible fee of $20 a year. The new MobileMe is expected at any time now and may take on social networking sites with photo and video uploading capabilities right from an iOS device.
It’s also interesting to note that Amazon’s Cloud Player requires no such fee unless one wishes to store more than 5GB of music. Amazon has also stated that they are not seeking new licensing seeing as how their service does not differ from other cloud storage solutions.
Although Apple may be able to get away by doing things the “Amazon” way of ‘act now, talk later‘, it was probably in their best interest to negotiate new terms and keep a good relationship with the content owners.
Will you be willing to pay for storage and music streaming to your iOS device?
(via CNET)
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