Amazon Cloud Drive

Amazon Cloud Drive is a web storage application unveiled by Amazon on March 29, 2011.^[1] It provides users with 5 gigabytes of storage space by default, with further storage space costing one dollar per gigabyte per year. Users who purchase an MP3 album through them before the end of 2011 will automatically be upgraded to 20 gigabytes of cloud storage for one full year. If the user uses more than 8 devices with their cloud player, they will have no access to downloading their files unless they use the previous 8 devices.

User can opt-in to store their purchased music to Amazon Cloud Drive by making a purchase via Amazon MP3 store, either on a website or via Amazon MP3 application for Android (version 2.0 or later). Amazon Cloud Drive accounts get 5 GiB of free storage; however, music purchased through Amazon MP3 store does not count towards the storage limit.^[2] Once the music is stored in Amazon Cloud Drive, a user can choose to download it to the Android device using Amazon MP3 application, or download it to the computer using Amazon MP3 Downloader.

Cloud Player

Bundled with Cloud Drive is a music streaming application called Cloud Player which allows users to play their music stored in the Cloud Drive from any computer or Android device with Internet access. It supports browsing music by song titles, albums, artists, genres (website only), and playlists.

Reception

Much commentary on the Cloud Player has focused on its legality, since Amazon launched the service without the approval of the record labels. Amazon's official statement is "Cloud Player is an application that lets customers manage and play their own music. It's like any number of existing media management applications. We do not need a license to make Cloud Player available."^[3] Technology website Ars Technica noted that this is "seemlingly logical" since users are uploading and playing back their own music, so the licenses users acquired from the original purchase apply to the Cloud Player in the same way they apply to transferring and playing music from an external hard drive or iPod.^[3] Techdirt commented that the Cloud Player is "just letting people take music files they already [have], and allowing them to store and stream them from the internet. Why should it require an extra license to let people listen to music they already have?"^[4]

Record labels reacted in shock to the Cloud Player's launch,^[5] insisting that licenses were needed for this type of service. Sony Music is reportedly keeping its legal options open.^[3]

Intellectual property lawyer Denise Howell stated that "the legality of cloud storage and remote access to items already purchased make intuitive sense", but given the record labels' reaction and track record of legal action against online music services, warned that it will likely take "definitive and hard-fought judicial pronouncements" to settle the issue.^[5]

References

1. ^ Couts, Andrew (March 29, 2011). "Amazon launches Cloud Drive 'digital locker,' Cloud Player". Digital Trends. http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/amazon-launches-cloud-drive-digital-locker-cloud-player/. 
2. ^ "Amazon.com Getting Started: MP3 Store and Cloud Player for Web". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=help_search_T1_1-1?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200593930. Retrieved 18 May 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} Cheng, Jacqui (29 March 2011). "Amazon on Cloud Player: we don't need no stinkin' licenses". Ars Technica. Condé Nast Digital. http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2011/03/amazon-on-cloud-player-we-dont-need-no-stinkin-licenses.ars. 
4. ^ Masnick, Mike (April 13 2011). "Amazon Insists No Licenses Needed For Cloud Player, Google Thinking Of Skipping Licenses As Well". Techdirt. Floor64. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110412/12450913873/. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Cheng, Jacqui (31 March 2011). "Music industry will force licenses on Amazon Cloud Player—or else". Ars Technica. Condé Nast Digital. http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2011/03/music-industry-will-force-licenses-on-amazon-cloud-playeror-else.ars. 

External links

• Official website