iTunes Match Thread

[richsadams]

​

iTunes Match Launched November 14, 2011
as part of Apple's iCloud service!​

NOTE: iTunes Match is currently only available in the United States.

Apple just rolled out iTunes 10.5.1 which includes iTunes Match, Apple's cloud music locker that was supposed to come out weeks ago. iTunes Match will cost $24.99 per year, and will allow you to access your entire music library from Apple's iCloud servers.

iTunes Match matches your songs to iTunes' 20 million song library. For songs iTunes doesn't have, you can upload them to iCloud servers for playback from other devices.

While iCloud doesn't technically "stream" music to you, it lets you download your music to any device on demand. You can "unpin" music you've downloaded at any time if you want to free up space. It all works within the iTunes client for Mac, and within the iTunes Store app for iPhone.

Here's the press release from Apple:

With iTunes Match, even songs you’ve imported from CDs can be stored in iCloud. And you can play them on any iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC — whenever you want and wherever you are, without syncing. iTunes Match is just $24.99 a year.

Here’s how it works: iTunes determines which songs in your collection are available in the iTunes Store. Any music with a match is automatically added to iCloud for you to listen to anytime, on any device. Since there are more than 20 million songs in the iTunes Store, chances are, your music is already in iCloud. And for the few songs that aren’t, iTunes has to upload only what it can’t match. Which is much faster than starting from scratch. Once your music is in iCloud, you can stream and store it to any of your devices. Even better, all the music iTunes matches plays back from iCloud at 256-Kbps AAC DRM-free quality — even if your original copy was of lower quality.

Source: iTunes Match

More here about iTunes Match and how to set things up:

• iTunes Match requires iTunes 10.5.1 or above. Click here to download the latest version of iTunes from Apple or open iTunes and click on "Check for Updates"

• Apple - iCloud - All your music on all your devices
  
  
• iTunes Store: How to subscribe to iTunes Match
  
  
• iTunes: How to add a computer or iOS device to iTunes Match
  
  
• iTunes Store: Troubleshooting iTunes Match
  
  
• iTunes Match: Understanding the iCloud Status icons

FIRST HAND: Read a personal experience with installing iTunes 10.5.1 and enabling iTunes Match including a few troubleshooting tips:

iTunes Match Up and Running - But not without some issues

 

[richsadams]

What's new in iTunes 10.5.1



What's new in iTunes 10.5.1

Introducing iTunes Match. Store your entire music library in iCloud, including music you've imported from CDs, and enjoy your collection anywhere, anytime, on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, computer, or Apple TV.

iTunes 10.5 also included:

• iTunes in the Cloud. iTunes now stores your music and TV purchases in iCloud and makes them available on your devices anywhere, any time, at no additional cost.

• Automatic Downloads. Purchase music from any device or computer and automatically download a copy to your Mac and iOS devices.

• Download Previous Purchases. Download your past music, TV, app, and book purchases again, at no additional cost. Previous purchases may be unavailable if they are no longer on the iTunes Store.

• Sync with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 5.

• Wi-Fi Syncing. Automatically sync your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iTunes any time they're both on the same Wi-Fi network.

For information on the security content of this update, please visit: support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

iTunes 10.5.1 requirements

Hardware:
• Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5 or G4 processor and 512MB of RAM
• To play Standard Definition video from the iTunes Store, a 1.0GHz PowerPC G4 or faster processor and 512MB of RAM is required.
• To play HD video, an iTunes LP, or iTunes Extras, a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or faster processor and 1GB of RAM is required.
• Screen resolution of 1024x768 or greater; 1280x800 or greater is required to play an iTunes LP or iTunes Extras
• Broadband Internet connection to use the iTunes Store
• Apple combo drive or SuperDrive to create audio, MP3, or back-up CDs; some non-Apple CD-RW recorders may also work
• Apple SuperDrive to back up your library to DVDs; some non-Apple DVD-RW drives may also work

Software:
• Mac OS X version 10.5 or later
• Safari 4.0.3 or later
• 200MB of available disk space

For more information

Using iTunes: Open iTunes and choose Help > iTunes Help. Type a question in the search field, or click "What is iTunes?" or a help topic.

Latest product news: See the iTunes website at www.itunes.com. For the latest information about iPod, see www.apple.com/ipod. For the latest information about iPhone, see www.apple.com/iphone. For the latest information about iPad, see www.apple.com/ipad. For the latest information about Apple TV, see www.apple.com/appletv.

iTunes Store billing questions: See www.apple.com/support/itunes/store.

Using your iPod with iTunes: Open iTunes and choose Help > iTunes Help or iPod User Guide, or see the documentation that came with your iPod.

Using your iPhone with iTunes: Open iTunes and choose Help > iTunes Help or iPhone User Guide, or see the documentation that came with your iPhone.

Using your iPad with iTunes: Open iTunes and choose Help > iTunes Help or iPad User Guide, or see the documentation that came with your iPad.

Using your Apple TV with iTunes: Open iTunes and choose Help > iTunes Help or Apple TV Setup Guide, see the documentation that came with your Apple TV, or see www.apple.com/support/appletv.

Additional help with iTunes, iPod, iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV: Open iTunes and choose Help > iTunes Help or Apple Service and Support.

 

[richsadams]

Download and Install Screen Shots

 

[richsadams]

iTunes Match Screen Shots

 

[richsadams]

iPad Screen Shots

 

[Hayles66]

Richsadams. I've got the update downloading in UK right now ! Does that mean its everywhere?

Sent from my one and only original iPad using iPF

 

[Chays]

Hi Rich,

I see that they say that it is only available for the United states. What happens if you have a US apple account?

Regards,
~Chays~

 

[Hayles66]

Have you checked Chays! It's in UK and I didn't even know it was outside USA so it's worth a look surely?

Sent from my one and only original iPad using iPF

 

[Chays]

Have you checked Chays! It's in UK and I didn't even know it was outside USA so it's worth a look surely?

Sent from my one and only original iPad using iPF

I will have a look tomorrow morning, now bed time *yawn
But not to keen to spend $25 for nothing )

Regards,
~Chays~

 

[Hayles66]

Oh, Chays! It's 20.47 here, are you an hour ahead or behind us, or two? I can never remember!

Sent from my one and only original iPad using iPF

 

[richsadams]

I read that you can download iTunes 10.5.1 outside of the U.S., however my understanding is that iTunes Match is only available in the U.S. at the moment. Once downloaded and installed can someone confirm that one way or the other?

Hi Rich,

I see that they say that it is only available for the United states. What happens if you have a US apple account?

Regards,
~Chays~

Chays, it would seem like iTunes Match should work...as you can can buy iTunes music, etc. if you're outside the U.S. as long as you have a U.S. Apple iTunes account. Again, someone will need to confirm that though.

 

[Hayles66]

I'm only at restarting laptop phase, I'm afraid.

Sent from my one and only original iPad using iPF

 

[richsadams]

I posted a concern I have with iTunes Match on another thread, but in summary iTunes Match was only able to match about 20% of my iTunes library. A majority of my library was ripped from CD's, but it's mostly mainstream music so I'm a bit surprised that it couldn't match 80% of it.

Right now it's on song 2,400 or so of about 5,900 that it's uploading to iCloud/iTunes Match now. It started uploading my songs about one hour ago so I suspect it will be another couple of hours before it's finished.

Stay tuned!

EDIT: Haley asked a question on the other thread that may explain why at least some of my songs aren't recognized by iTunes Match. I have gone in and changed a number of the album's genres...one's that I thought were more "pop" than "rock" for instance so that they would "fit" into some of my Smart Playlists more logically (at least in my mind). I don't think I've changed 80% of my library, but I know I've changed at least that categorization in a sizable number of songs. If iTunes Match requires and exact match, it could mean a lot of uploading for folks like me that have tweaked the tags in their music files.

There's no way of knowing at the moment, but I'll be interested to see what the final results are.

 

[Hayles66]

I saw it on our music app thread.

Sent from my one and only original iPad using iPF

 

[Hayles66]

Well! It looks like you are right. No iTunes match for us Brits at this time. Although I do have an iTunes + in my iTunes store on the right hand side? They are talking 2012!!!!! What!!! Not fair!!!

Sent from my one and only original iPad using iPF