Unlimited usage of music downloads on the horizon?

Bloomberg reported today that Apple is negotiating with several music labels to allow its customers unlimited downloads of music they've bought. The roster of companies is said to include Universal Music, Sony, Warner Music, and EM.

The upshot: Apple customers would get access to their music from all of the devices associated with their personal iTunes accounts. This would fit with an apparent policy shift at Apple aimed at promoting the storage of digital data on cloud-based services rather than on hard drives. Computing over the Internet is now referred to as taking place in "the cloud." The concept, which emerged in the last decade, has gathered momentum and proponents say the next generation of digital entertainment is headed in that direction.

But this is not just an academic exercise for Apple. It also has a competitive incentive to act now. CNET last month reported that Google is planning a cloud music and video service.

You can read the full Bloomberg story here.