Apple speaking to music labels about unlimited downloads

Apple is talking to music companies in order to allow customers easier online access to music they purchased, according to a new Bloomberg report issued late Thursday, March 3.

The new program would serve a couple of purposes. It would be a sort of insurance policy for those who might see their iTunes libraries corrupted or destroyed. It would also allow those who have multiple iDevices to download their music to all their devices rather than having to tether to a computer and sync via iTunes.

Another reason for the policy change would be to bring the iTunes store in line with the App Store and the Mac App store, where re-downloads are allowed. However, it would shut down the rumors that Apple was planning to use MobileMe as a sort of cloud-based locker for content.

Will music labels go along with this? They've caved into Apple before, but they have also made certain demands of Apple, too. For example, when Apple removed DRM from its iTunes music content in 2009, it began selling music in tiers, something it was reluctant to do previously.