Free Streaming Music Heading to Apple?

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While people keep talking about the upcoming tablet, the iPhone 4G and iPhone OS 4.0 Apple execs are busy with something totally different, but completely related to the core of their business. It looks like Apple is interested in offering free streaming music to its customers and given that iTunes is a big part of portable Apple gadgets such a free-of-charge music service will be very well welcomed.

Although not confirmed yet it, looks Apple wants to bring the music to the cloud. Thus the user will be able to access music from any connected devices. The music would be stored and streamed from the cloud although this will imply some heavy Internet use from consumers. But with all the wireless hotspots around available today, music streaming might just happen sooner than expected. Not to mention it will free up some of that storage space that one could use for depositing other stuff instead of music files. Say more games maybe?

Lala, a music company familiar with music streaming services was acquired by Apple in December for $85 million. Following the purchase analysts expect Apple to use the newly gained technology to transform iTunes into a cloud-based music store. Our future playlists will be pushed to the cloud and thus they will be easily accessible from anywhere on Earth where there’s an Internet connection.

Apple is said to have met with four major music labels regarding the new music service but I think it’s highly unlikely for the Cupertino-based company to launch a new version of iTunes next week. Free-of-charge music streaming is definitely something achievable and the cloud idea could benefit a lot of Apple faithful customers. But there’s no indication that Apple has been preparing a new iTunes version for the January 27 media event. And we all know how last time Apple updated iTunes its new features have been leaked well ahead of the actual launch.

What about you? Ready for some cloud-based music streaming?