Apple is talking with record companies including Vivendi SA (VIV)’s Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG) and EMI Group to give users more flexibility in how they access purchased music, reports “Bloomberg” (http://macte.ch/k8U6Y).
Under discussion is a deal that would provide iTunes customers with a permanent backup of music purchases if the originals are damaged or lost, the article says, quoting “three people with knowledge of the plans.” The service also would allow downloads to iPad, iPod and iPhone devices linked to the same iTunes account, they said. The move would be a step closer to universal access to content centrally stored on the Internet.
Apple and the record labels are eager to maintain demand for digital downloading amid increasing popularity for Internet services such as Pandora Media, which don’t sell tracks and instead let users stream songs from the Web, whatever the device, says “Bloomberg.”
