SAN JOSE, Calif. — Confirming widespread rumors recently filling the blogosphere, Apple confirmed Tuesday that CEO Steve Jobs will deliver the keynote speech next week at the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.

In a news release with a relatively surprising amount of detail for a company that likes to play things close to its vest, Apple said his speech would include details of its new “iCloud” service.

The maker of iPhones, iPads and other devices did not reveal anything else beyond referencing its “upcoming cloud services offering.” Bloggers and news sites, however, have been buzzing for weeks that Apple has been in negotiations with major labels to allow iTunes customers to listen to their music collections over an Internet connection, regardless of which gadget they’re using.

According to CNET.com, Apple has wrapped up licensing agreements with three of the four top record companies: EMI Music, Warner Music and Sony Music. The news site has also reported that Apple and Universal Music, the largest of the major record companies, could possibly sign a deal soon. This would give Apple recorded-music rights to most of the popular music now available.

Jobs, who has battled pancreatic cancer and who in January went on his third medical leave since 2004, did not show up at the company’s annual shareholders meeting in Cupertino, Calif., in February and was not on the conference call when Apple announced its earnings in April. But Jobs did make a surprise appearance in March to unveil the iPad 2.