Apple Woos Big Record Labels

Apple has already surpassed Google as the most valuable brand in the world, and it appears the tech giants will soon go head to head in the realm of cloud music. The Los Angeles Times reports that Apple has "tentative agreements" with four major record labels and could launch a cloud-based music system by June 6 in San Francisco, during the start of the company's Worldwide Developers Conference. At last year's conference, the company launched Ping, a music-centered social network linked via iTunes. A source close to the negotiations said the launch of the system "would depend on how soon Apple can button down its contracts with the major labels and publishers."