Apple, EMI cloud-music deal making Google, Amazon nervous

Apple has reportedly signed a licensing agreement with EMI Music about cloud-music serve – a deal that could help it beat competitors Google and Amazon.

Apple is already in agreement with Warner Music Group and, according to reports, Apple is near to signing deals with Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group too.

If Apple’s cloud-music service is launched successfully, it would mean that the customers could store their music on the company’s web server and access their music libraries from anywhere as long as the device is connected to Internet. And because the songs are store online rather than the device itself, it will take less space in the hard drive, which is good news for many iPod users who are maxing out their space.

At the moment, Apple is not the frontrunner in the cloud-music service race. Amazon and Google have already launched cloud-music services, Cloud Drive and Google Music, respectively.

However, Apple’s progress in licensing agreements is expected to put it at an advantage, because the other two are facing legal issues because of licensing.

The licensing agreement will also features additional services that the other two cannot offer, such as automatic scanning and uploading ability. Amazon and Google users have to do this manually.

Apple has not given any details of when the cloud-music service will open, but some expect the signing with Sony Music Group and Universal Music Group to be complete early next week, according to a source cited by CNET.