Apple is rumored to be developing a new media streaming engine for both iOS and Mac OS X, as well as for Windows.  This speculation is brought to light by an apparent job posting for by AppleInsider.

Our team is responsible for implementing software services around linear audiovisual media. This includes local media playback, video-on-demand and live streaming of multimedia content. Our media engine is used across Apple products such as QuickTime, Safari, and iTunes as well as 3rd party applications. We are looking for an excellent engineering manager to join our team and help develop our media streaming engine for our iOS, Mac OS X, and Windows products.

This post requires a Media Streaming Engineering Manager who would be working with Interactive Media Group (IMG).  IMG is also responsible for providing the groundwork for both the media and graphics that are used in all the iDevices as well as the Apple TV.  It also works for Applications such as Final Cut Pro and Aperture.

Rumors of Apple launching an ‘iCloud’ service have been around for a few months, as well as the cancellation of boxed sets of MobileMe.  It’s also worth noting that Apple is ready to turn on the switch for the massive Data Center in North Carolina.

Both Google and Amazon have launched Cloud Music Lockers, but both without and contracts or license from the four major record labels.  If and when Apple releases their new cloud services, it will certainly make both Google and Amazon return to the drawing board