Antoni Wo

Sorry for my English ;-) I read that deal is not done yet...

For that cloud service you need a lot of space for data. More than 100GB (now 100GB in cloud isn't cheap)... Terabytes of space. Cloud bytes are expensive, you wrote about price. In subscribtion model we talk about thousands of dollars. I think that for music lovers this is unacceptable price (ok, like you said, there are some advantages, but this local storage - in my opinion - isn't big problem, not that big that you wrote) they buy top gear, rear vinyl but I think they don't like to buy zeros and ones, virtual spaces of data only for one reason - to archive their X Terabytes music coll. If Apple not introducing good streaming service, and not change quality in iTunes store will be doomed (content distribution). I think they work hard for new posibilites, i.e they change Itunes libraries (better quality (remastered for...), better or the best music sources - very important), they talks with music industry about future changes in their services and so one, and so one. For carriers that scenario (HQ streaming) means more money (for example in Poland we have unlimited data plan for streaming services if you choose high price sub plan with phone). Of course two things are big headache now: battery life and today mobile network infrastructure. Apple have many strong arguments. So, if you have right, it means that Apple have no chance, and iTunes today, tomorrow is like dinosaur. Apple loose, industry loose, and finaly carriers loose. In my opinion they want smth different, smth like win-win option. With modern streaming service (iRadio is not that service of course), with looseless tracks in iTunes store (some of them, like today remastered materials, could be in hi-res quality) they have chance, and for us it is important, because it means that better quality will be a standard, standard for music from Internet. If not Apple, who change situation, when 90 or more (?) % music in zero and ones is mp3/aac? Yes, WiMP interface in Mac is ugly, it is comp interface (app or sometimes web... not fun like you said) but you have many alternatives... like I said: Sonos, Sqeezebox, millions of handhelds and a lot of AV components (i.e home cinema amplif.) Now Spotify mod. service for better experience for people who wants archive their music coll. I think in near future that will be all-in-one solutions. You will have access for new way of consumption and, also, all of your f. music (traditional usage). in cloud, in local memory, like you want. Carriers wants smth new... now voice, sms, mms, standard services are cheap or "free". It's time to make money in subscribtion model with them, with Spotify, with Apple, Deezer, WiMP etc. etc. It sad that you not visit Poland in 2014. Your meeting was very good, for me, one of the best meetings in Audio Show history.

In Europe, in some locations, we have WiMP HiFi. That streaming service using good quality sources (FLAC, ALAC with vbr 800-1100kbps), you have almost 20 mln tracks (most of them in HiFi aka CDA quality), you have offline mode (handhelds, computers(!)), you have access for service on Sonos players and some more streaming systems, of course also on every mobile and computers systems, it works over DLNA/AirPlay and - the best - all of it is for no more than 12 dollars per month (in Poland, of course it depends, in different loc. it cost from 10 to 20€). I think that service is the future, and your topic ideas (cloud access to own music archive) have no sens because people do not need it - more atractive, more variable, multieveryplatform, more accesable solution will be / is services like WiMP HiFi. Many people wants also social integration, contact with artists (very important, big advantage for streaming services), more and more informations about listen music (concertos)... interactive solutions. Now, you have also quality, good quality, and this is fantastic for everyone who want explore music (very, very big music library), but also want good sources with no compromise. Now, one more and maybe final step: hi-res sound. I think Apple plan something like this. They need smth new, because their distribution model (iTunes shop with tracks in AAC for 99c or more) have no chance today, when you have better alternative (subscribe streaming services). If they transform iTunes library to high resolution, also in services like iTunes Match (yes, yes, like your idea with cloud lib. with 1000 & 1000 tracks in 24bit ALAC), and they prepeard own streaming service with hi-res tracks it could be new begining of music consumption and distribution. We will see. And one more thing ... Chris, have you plan to visit Poland in november (Audio Show)?