iTunes Match

Apple updated iTunes to 10.5.1 and has finally enabled the promised iTunes Match service.

How does it work?

System requirements:

OS X Lion 10.7 or later

Windows Vista or later

iTunes 10.5.1 or later

iOS 5 or later on iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S iPod touch (3rd and 4th generation), iPad, or iPad 2.

Currently available only in the US, but Apple is working on the licensing needed in other countries

Signing up

Launch iTunes 10.5.1 or later on your computer. You cannot subscribe to iTunes Match from an iOS device.

Choose Store > Turn On iTunes Match.

From the main screen, click "Subscribe for $24.99/yr."
If you already have an existing Apple ID that you use for iTunes Store purchases, sign in with that Apple ID and click Subscribe.

Note: You may use store credit to pay for your iTunes Match subscription however a valid payment method must still be on file at the time of sign up.

Once you agree to the iTunes Match Terms and Conditions, iTunes will automatically scan your iTunes library for matches

Activate iTunes

Choose Store > Turn On iTunes Match.

Click "iTunes Match" on the left side of iTunes.

Click the Add This Computer button.

When prompted, enter your Apple ID password

iTunes will being the scan

You will see an iTunes Match section under the Store category and there will be a 'cloud' column with icons to show the match status of individual tracks

iTunes Matching

3 Step process

Analyzing your library. Kind of like when you turn on Genius

Matching songs. Ones that match are 'added' to your available iCloud library, but not uploaded

Matched songs are available as 256Kbps AAC for download

Uploading non-matched songs.

These are uploaded at the same bit rate and format they are in your local iTunes Library (up to 320Kbps)

Lossless files are converted to 256 Kbps AAC and then uploaded

It does this for your whole library. You can't choose to exclude songs other than taking them out of your library.

You can’t run the Match process on multiple computers simultaneously

There is a 25,000 song limit. Purchased tracks don't count, but matched ones do. Also, obviously, uploaded tracks count against the 25,000

iCloud icons in iTunes

Can also turn on the 'iCloud Status' by right-clicking the column bar at the top of the iTunes window (or pressing Command-J) and making sure "iCloud Status" item is checked.

What the icons mean

"Blank" - in the Cloud (could be matched, uploaded, or purchased). Use iCloud Status column to see it's status

Ineligible (cloud with slash through it) - This icon is displayed next to items that are not eligible to be uploaded to iCloud via iTunes Match. Some examples are songs that are larger than 200MB or songs encoded at 96 Kbps or less.

Removed (cloud with X in it) - This icon is displayed when a song has been removed from iCloud (from a different computer). Songs deleted from iCloud are immediately deleted from associated iOS devices, but will remain on other associated computers until they are manually deleted.

Error (Cloud with "!") - This icon may be displayed if the song file is corrupt or if there was an error uploading the song. Try updating iTunes Match (Store > Update iTunes Match) to resolve this. If updating does not resolve the issue, try importing a new copy of the song into your iTunes library.

Duplicate (two clouds with slash) - This icon is displayed when a duplicate version of this song exists in your iTunes library on your computer. This icon will be displayed next to duplicates that were not uploaded to iCloud.

Waiting (Cloud with dashed outline) - This icon is displayed when a song is in the process of being matched, but has not yet been processed.

Your Library Remains

Initially nothing in your library changes

Metadata for your tracks that is in iTunes is not touched

Matched and uploaded files stay at the same bit-rate and format

To "upgrade" your files to 256 KBps AAC

I found it helpful to turn on the 'Bit Rate' and 'Format' columns

Select the track in the library you want to "upgrade"

Right+Click and choose 'Delete', it will ask if you want to keep the local copy in your iTunes folder or move it to the trash.

I would move the local files to the trash, but not empty it.

Then you should get a 'download' button (cloud with down arrow) next to the track in the iCloud.

Click to download and the 256 Kbps AAC version should download

Any custom meta-data previously attached to the local file will be maintained

Good for replacing 'Protected' AAC files too.

Updates get scanned and your library updated

Adding new content or changing meta-data will update iCloud data

If the content was already downloaded to an iDevice you need to remove and re-download from iCloud to get it's meta data to update.

You can force an update by:

Control+Click on track and choosing 'Add to iCloud' (error)

Selecting Store > Update iTunes Match

Deleting from iTunes Match

As long as a track exists in a Library with iTunes Match enabled it will live in the iCloud.

From a computer with iTunes Match enabled, Click Music on the left side of iTunes.

Select the item you would like to delete. Right-click the item and then choose Delete. You will be asked to confirm this action.

If the item you want to delete exists in iTunes on your computer as well as in iCloud, click the checkbox to also delete the item from iCloud.

Tips

A download button will be shown next to items that are available in iCloud for download but are not already available on your computer.

Deleting from iCloud can only be done from a computer that is enabled for iTunes Match. When you delete an item from iCloud, the item cannot be recovered.

When deleting an item from iCloud, the deleted item will also be deleted from any iPod, iPhone, or iPad enabled for iTunes Match which syncs with your iTunes library.

Adding iOS devices

On your iOS device with iOS 5.0.1 or later, go to Settings > Music.

Tap the iTunes Match switch to On.

iOS will warn you that doing this will replace the Music Library on your device

Any tracks that are already on the device (already sync'd via iTunes) will remain stored locally on your device.

Also turn on the 'Show All Music' switch if you want to see what Music is available in iCloud.

To access your music in iCloud, open the Music Player app on your device.

Your music in iCloud will be integrated into your local music library. A download button will appear to the right of content that you have in iCloud that doesn't already exist on your device.

Important:
When enabling iTunes Match on your iOS device, the music library on your iOS device will be deleted and then replaced with your music in iCloud.

Syncing music with iTunes will be disabled while iTunes Match is enabled on your iOS device.

By default, downloading over a cellular network is disabled. To download using cellular data, you must manually enable downloads using cellular data.

Settings > Store > Turn "On" Use Cellular Data.

"Streaming" on iOS

Not technically streaming, more like progressive download.

Shuffle is "not really" an option

Slow to start downloading when skipping tracks. 10-30 second delay.

Still downloads, so you're using up storage as you play music.

Can download whole, albums, artists, playlists. 'Download all' link at the bottom.

Seems to chew through battery.

Build an "upgrade" playlist

Add a new Smart Playlist, File > New Smart playlist…

Add the criteria.

'Bitrate' + 'less than" + '256 kbps'

'Media Kind' + 'is' + 'Music'

Now hold the option key and add additional criteria by clicking the '…' button (instead of '+')

Set to 'Any' + of the following is true

'iCloud Status' + 'is' + 'Matched'

'iCloud Status' + 'is' + 'Purchased'

This ensures the playlist only shows eligible tracks

Don't set a limit and make sure Live Updating is on.

Name your playlist. I made mine 'Tracks to Upgrade'

To upgrade in a Playlist, select the track and press Option+Delete.

It will ask if you want to move the track to the trash and leave the copy in the iCloud.

Then you can re-download using the button

You could use 'Select All' to do this or all tracks. Then Select all and Control+Click and choose 'Download'.

The list will live update as you download the newer versions

Additional notes

Any music purchased under another Apple ID that is authorized to play on the computer a user has used to set up iTunes Match will also show up as "matched,".

You could delete the track and re-download it, DRM-Free, it would then match under the iTunes Match ID registered to that Mac

A way to 'migrate' music to a single AppleID.

iTunes match is NOT an "amnesty" program for illegal downloads from your past.

The tracks can match and you can download newer AAC versions from iTunes, but still if you never purchased it you don't own it and technically your still violating copyright.

The $25.00 is NOT a license for music you never owned.

I don't like the cloud or nothing mentality.

Download vs. streaming seems to defeat the purpose of saving storage.

On the Mac, it does seem to actually stream

I will have to manually manage music on my device. Deleting and re-downloading

Playlists that contain media types other than music will not sync between devices.