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LOS ANGELES — Apple Inc. is in advanced talks to buy online music retailer Lala.com, a Silicon Valley startup that has threatened "the end of the MP3″ with its fast song-streaming application.

A person familiar with the matter confirmed the talks with The Associated Press but was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

In October, Lala co-founder Bill Nguyen demonstrated to the AP a working model of an application the company had developed for Apple's iPhone.

The app, which is not available to the public, allows users to buy the right to stream songs from a digital locker for an unlimited time on their iPhones for just 10 cents each.

The song quality is lower than what Apple's iTunes songs offer, but "intelligent caching" allows tracks to load and play in seconds, with playback possible even outside of cell phone coverage. The model undercuts prices charged on iTunes, where songs generally cost 69 cents to $1.29.

Nguyen described the concept as the start of "the end of the MP3."

A key reason for Apple to buy Lala is to keep Nguyen and the development team on board, the person said.

Representatives from Apple and Lala did not immediately return messages seeking comment.