iTunes users with iPods, iPads and Mac’s will LOVE iCloud but the true winners will be the music labels. It’s rumored that Apple will have to spend $150 million to the major record labels to allow their libraries to join the cumulus clutter. What did the label’s have to do to earn that money? Nothing, how American.

Our recent acquisition of an iPad 2 had me worried that we were going to pass the limit of authorized devices allowed to playing the music I bought. From what I’ve read there isn’t such a limit anymore. But it got me thinking… my ancient iPod, the one I got 4 years ago, isn’t used much anymore. In fact, the computer doesn’t particularly recognize the music on it and doesn’t “sync” anymore. RIP to my $200 music playing machine. But if I could duplicate devices in my own household, without connecting to my account I wonder if the teenage world is doing that exponentially.

iCloud adds another layer of protection against anonymous music sharing. It virtually guarantees that any song purchased can only be used by the account that bought it. Score for the music labels. I’ve heard so many sympathy stories about the music industry tanking and want to ram my car into a brick wall each time. Was it that long ago that I could record music directly from the radio onto my cassette tape? I actually had a TOTALLY sophisticated boombox that had 2 decks, allowing me to quickly copy anything my heart desired. Can you imagine purchasing a CD and not being able to share it with your friends?

During a time when copying and sharing music was the norm, the labels seemed to figure out how to make record profits. Now that we’re required to purchase more copies of the same song they seem to be having a hard time. Cry me a river, you are getting paid $150mm to do absolutely nothing.

There is something you can do, actually. Sign up for Amazon.com or Google’s music services. They are free and both companies refuse to pay the music industry so much money to do nothing. I love the concept of iCloud but get grey hairs from the gluttonous music industry.

Amazon · Apple · Cassette · CD · google · iCloud · iPad · iPod · iTunes · Labels · Mac · Music