Apple's iTunes cloud plan may skip music to focus on TV

Apple might be scaling back its cloud music plans while it waits to see what new enemy Google comes up with, with iTunes execs currently touring labels to say the much-anticipated iTunes in the cloud services may be “limited in scope”.

We had all expected Apple to quickly introduce cloud music services subsequent to its acquisition of Lala.com, now it seems introduction of such services may take longer. This is because Apple hasn’t yet agreed licenses with music labels, has already lost one of the four LaLa.com execs who came across to the company, and may not yet have finished assembling its vision of what such services might offer.

Cnet.com tells us that, “Eight months after the acquisition, Apple is telling executives at the four top labels that if Apple offers any cloud-music features within the next few months, they will likely be “modest in scope” and not offer the kind of cloud services that Apple had outlined in meetings with the labels, such as storing the music of iTunes users on its servers.”

Former iTunes head, Eddy Cue, who now runs Apple’s Internet division, allegedly “took a long time to specify what he wanted from the Lala guys,” the report adds.

There’s also word the Lala execs have been focused on Apple’s video in the clouds efforts. Could Apple’s recent move to permit streaming music apps via the App Store reflect the company’s focus on TV?

“Sources at the major film studios have said this year that Apple plans to create “digital shelves” that enable iTunes users to store movies and other media on Apple’s servers.”

The plot thickens as Apple moves to reinvent TV. Perhaps we’ll learn more later this year.