Amazon is to take on Apple’s iTunes with the launch of a service which enables consumers to save all their music in a Cloud-based system.

Amazon Cloud Player will enable shoppers to store MP3 songs and albums from its site to be stored free of charge. Music not bought from Amazon is also easy to access using the service as the etail giant will match songs on consumers’ computers to its own catalogue of over 20 million songs.

Amazon founder and chief executive Jeff Bezos said: “We’re introducing an important new service to give you a simple way to keep your music safe and have it with you, everywhere.”

The songs matched will be upgraded with 256kbps audio and will be available instantly in Cloud Player and music that can’t be match will be uploaded so the entire digital music will be available via the service.

Music can be downloaded to play offline anytime.

Cloud Player is fully integrated into the Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire is available on web browsers, Android phones, iPhones and iPod touch.

All Amazon MP3 purchases and the first 250 imported songs are stored for free on the service or 250,000 songs can be imported for £21.99 per year.