If you want to sync folders to the cloud without placing them inside your cloud folder, you can find several services ready to help. Ubuntu One from Canonical, available for Windows and Ubuntu Linux desktops, includes the ability to add any folder to your cloud storage without moving it.

Another option is to use the recently released . Cloud Drive does not place a new folder on your desktop as Google Drive, Dropbox, SkyDrive, and Ubuntu One do. Instead, Windows users can right-click any folder and select Amazon Cloud Drive from the 'Send to' menu option to sync to Amazon. The downside with Cloud Drive is that you can access your files only via a Web browser.

Streaming your music from the cloud is a very different proposition than syncing it across multiple PCs, since some cloud services (such as Dropbox) don't offer comprehensive music streaming features. Your best bet is to use a dedicated online music service. Amazon, for example, offers , which let Android and iOS users stream stored music files. You get 5GB of free online storage from Amazon Cloud Drive, and any music purchases you make through the online retailer's MP3 store and save to Cloud Drive do not count against your storage limit.