Hot on the heels of announcements by both Amazon and Google, who recently launched cloud music services, Steve Jobs announced Apple’s iCloud service today at the WWDC conference in San Francisco. ( The event sold out in under 2 hours).

Apple is the only company to get the approval of the four major record labels before launch.

While both Amazon and Google’s service allow users to upload any music they like to the cloud (so it can be listened to on any computer or device) Apple’s iCloud doesn’t require uploading. It just reads your music library and makes that same music available in the cloud. Syncing your non-iTunes music (ripped CDs etc)  is an additional service that costs 24.99 a year.

Accessing songs you’ve purchased through the iTunes store is free.

iTunes in the cloud  simplifies the syncing process so that any music you purchase through iTunes can be accessed on any device. You can easily view your purchase history and determine which purchases have not yet been downloaded to the device you are using.

Apple’s iCloud also goes far beyond just music and lets you access other media such as pictures, movies, apps, eBooks and does the work of syncing your contacts, calendars and more.

iCloud will replace Apple’s MobileMe service as of today. All this for the low low price of Free.

Apple also announced major updates to it’s iOS and Mac operating system. View Tech Crunch’s play by play of the WWDC Conference here.

What are your thought’s on Apple’s iCloud?

Sell your music on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, Rhapsody, Napster, Spotify, and more!