iTunes Match: New Music Feature Announced By Apple

The "one more thing" at today's WWDC 2011 Apple press conference was iTunes Match.

After presenting on the long-awaited iCloud, Steve Jobs introduced iTunes Match, which will scan your computer for music including MP3s and match it up with songs in the iTunes store.

"We give that music the same benefits as music purchased in iTunes," Jobs said.

iTunes Match will cost $24.99 per year, regardless of how many songs you upload and "match." Apple compared the new feature to music services at Amazon and Google (see those comparions here).

iTunes Match could be abused though. TechCrunch's Alexia Tsotis wrote, "So Apple's basically betting you'll pay $25 a month to legalize all your content. Or pay $25 a month for the unlimited ability to pirate music."

Mark Prigg, a tech journalist in London, added, "iTunes match means Apple can finally lock your entire music collection into iTunes - very clever."

See what else Apple announced today here.

Comments

[michaelsmith035]

11:49 PM on 07/29/2011

Itunes files you want to consolidate from one machine to the other. When doing this, follow the instructions from the external hard drive option above, to make sure you combine libraries, rather than erase one with the other.

http://www.techyv.com/questions/i-cant-backup-my-musical-content-itunes

[drularter]

05:42 PM on 06/07/2011

I think that this is a great ideas and one that all Apple fanatics and music lovers should be simply "gaga" over. The ability to have your library of songs not bought on iTunes remastered into high quality. That is amazing, especially when I think about how low grade of a quality someone using iTunes 1 imported music. Kudos to you, Apple. I know I'm thrilled.

[johnrf]

12:42 PM on 06/07/2011

I still don't understand what happens to content that I have that is not and never will be on iTunes. Like Grateful Dead shows, legally downloaded. How would they ever get there? What about songs ripped from records? Since I just have a couple computers and a couple iPods syncing is not that big a deal.

[CaptainObvvious]

09:57 AM on 06/07/2011

I must say I don't really understand the value of the $25 iTunes match service.

What does it get me? So I pay for it and it will then automatically push those songs to all my devices and keep them synced... OK... But I already have all those songs synced onto all of my devices.

What does the service actually do for me?

I know it will upgrade the quality of many of the tracks but aside from that it will just keep the music synced on all the devices the songs are already synced to.

I understand the cool factor of my contacts, calendars, photos and newly purchased iTunes music (among other things) being synced instantly and effortlessly to all my devices but the music I already have is already synced.

Plus when I plug in my phone to charge it will backup and sync with my desktop's iTunes automatically which will sync the songs from there to my iPhone or iPad.

The only changes I make during the day that would be convenient to sync take place on my iOS device like photos, contacts, documents etc... But any music I get from my iOS device is bought from iTunes thus synced for free.

I just don't see the value... I am not bashing it I am assuming there is something I am not understanding.

[Max Imus]

10:08 AM on 06/07/2011

you have access to ALL your synced music...when you don't have enough space on your ipod...you can download to your connected device without having to go back to your computer to do it. Example....you are on a trip. Iphone could grab a collection of music from your inventory without having to sync it at home.

[CaptainObvvious]

10:22 AM on 06/07/2011

But wouldn't I already have that music on my iPhone, laptop, iPad and desktop?

This isn't a streaming service it actually pushes the music to your phone and is then stored locally... So if you don't have room for your entire music collection it is no help because it doesn't stream the music.

Unless I am on a new computer that doesn't have my music library on it or I get a new device I don't understand the benefit.

Again, I am hoping I am missing something or that maybe its a service that is useful for some people but not for me.

Like I said I already have my entire music library on all my devices I don't understand what effect me signing up for the service would do for me.

iCloud in general does sound awesome though.

[CaptainObvvious]

10:39 AM on 06/07/2011

So since I already have all that data synced on all my devices before iCloud is released in what situations is it useful?

1. I get a new phone and want to get it up and running with all my music without using a PC.

2. I delete a song on my iPhone and it will (I guess) be automatically deleted on my other devices.

3. I do a restore while not at home and want to get it all synced again.

In those situations it is handy to be sure but how often is that happening that I would want to pay $25.00 a year?

Are those the only benefits? If so it doesn't make it a bad service just one that doesn't appeal to me as much since I have no problem waiting until I I get home and can sync there wirelessly.

[WadeLaycook]

03:37 PM on 06/06/2011

But what about music I have that isn't in the iTunes catalog? I have quite a bit of album-oriented rock that I haven't been able to find on the iTunes store.

[CaptainObvvious]

09:57 AM on 06/07/2011

Whatever isn't matched it uploaded to the cloud. Anything that IS matched is already in Apple's data center thus doesn't have to be uploaded.

But ALL your music will be taken care of.

[cabinetmaniac]

10:10 AM on 06/07/2011

All the digital music anyway.

I'm not sure about that either. The metadata might have to match the official release. Right now I can't even get cover art for digital music without the metadata match.

:-]

[bkkaya]

03:34 PM on 06/06/2011

Very clever indeed. Oh Apple, you will be the end of us.