Amazon.com Inc. on Tuesday announced the launch of an on-line music storage service, which enables users to store digital music in the cloud and access it from computers and devices running Google's Android operating system.

The new service, called "Cloud Drive," offered customers five gigabytes of free storage on Amazon Web servers for all kinds of digital files, including music, photos, videos and documents. For paid plans, users can purchase storage space starting at 20 U.S. dollars a year for 20 gigabytes.

The on-line retailer also launched "Cloud Player for Web" and " Cloud Player for Android." The former allows users to get the media files they stored on Amazon's servers from a Web browser on a Mac or PC. The latter lets users play music they have uploaded on Cloud Drive, computers or a smartphone that runs Android operating system.

Analysts said Amazon is stepping up its rivalries with Apple and Google. Both companies are also working on similar services, allowing users to store their music on-line and access it from any compatible device.

Media reports said that Apple was pushing hard to launch a digital music locker service in April. Google was also reported to be testing its own digital locker service but it still needs to make agreements with major music labels.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet