What is iTunes Match?

Thanks Jim

I literally just Googled "Apple phone tech support". =)

1 (800) 275-2273

When Apple Music first launched if you used it to copy your non-Apple Music content (CD rips or non-Apple downloads) to a new computer then those would arrive with DRM, making them unplayable when the subscription was terminated. At some point the iTunes Match feature that allowed you to redownload the uploaded or matched copies without DRM was folded into Apple Music. I believe there was also an edge case where iTunes Match was supported on Apple TV 2, but Apple Music wasn't, but that's not really my area. The bottom line is that you can cancel iTunes Match and nothing should change, provided you don't have legacy downloads from back in the day when Apple Music would attach DRM to downloads of your matched or uploaded tracks, in which case you should remove the existing downloads and then download fresh ones. Turn off lossless downloads before doing this.

Enable the iCloud Status and Kind columns in the Songs view of your library and review the contents. Refresh any content that may currently have DRM when you don't think it should. Backup your library. Cancel your iTunes Match subscription.

tt2

Oh **** is that ever an important detail to be aware of. I've had the service so long that if it was adding DRM to stuff at some point, there's no way I'd have not run into that. I'll go through my library and check, but frankly I'm gonna be really ****** & screwed if it added DRM to any of my self-produced songs as I wouldn't have the ability to re-create those masters anymore. Although there are 3rd party tools to rip the DRM out, so I'd likely just resort to that if it came down to it. But wow that's messed up. Appreciate the input!

EDIT: Wow Apple censoring even the mildest words... good golly Miss Molly!

I used to have multiple CDs ripped into my iTunes. One day I decided to join Apple Music and it asked me if I wanted to store my music in the cloud, I said yes. Then, I canceled my subscription and all of my music disappeared! I love Apple but I don't think you had the right to take away my music. I mean, who keeps CDs anymore!!! Now I joined iTunes Match to enjoy my music in different devices. From what I read, the minute I cancel my subscription, you will again steal my music, which I had purchased!

Now, please provide explanation in layman's terms. How do I "enable iCloud Status and Kind columns" (what is Kind?) Review the contents then refresh them? OK, back up is easy. I don't want to lose the music I was able to recuperate. Thnx!

I now have what I believe is the most definitive answer to this iTunes Match question, that it will be possible to get. I called Apple support and spoke with someone there for about a half hour, she went and pestered numerous other people including some engineers. Here's the bottom line:

All feature functionality of iTunes Match, is indeed now included in Apple Music. So everything iTunes Match does, Apple Music does.

What is NOT included, is the storage involved with iTunes Match. If you use iTunes Match then when you upload your music, it goes into its own bucket of cloud storage. If you cancel your Apple Music subscription, you would still have full access to anything and everything you uploaded to iTunes Match. Your CD rips, SoundCloud downloads, personally generated music - everything.

Here's the rub: If you have a bunch of personal music that you've uploaded but do NOT have iTunes Match, then when you cancel your Apple Music subscription, you can kiss ALL of that music goodbye. Forever. If you didn't have another backup of it somewhere, then it's gone. Oh and it is also entirely possible (she didn't sound 100% certain on this one) that your uploaded music, even your own personally-generated songs, will have Apple DRM on them once uploaded to Apple Music. Not sure that this happens with iTunes Match, I don't think it does but have no way I can confidently prove/disprove it.

So basically iTunes Match is a cloud storage option. Personally I don't think I'll ever drop Apple Music so I plan to drop iTunes Match at long last.

Hope this helps someone out!

Agreed, it is absolutely not advertised as a cloud backup solution. I'm merely telling you what the support rep told me on the phone minutes before I made this new post. That iTunes Match gives you "separate cloud storage" for your music library. This is what was said to me so if it's wrong, it should be taken up with Apple's support staff management. *shrug*

The storage used to enable iCloud Music Library (e.g. for uploaded tracks) is separate from any used by iCloud Drive, which might be what was meant by "separate cloud storage". It works the same for Apple Music or iTunes Match. All matched or uploaded content should be downloaded to local storage before you cancel the service, or yes, it will be lost. None of your own uploads/matches should gain DRM, but that was an issue in the early days of Apple Music before iTunes Match was fully integrated into it. Again having your own backups of all of your own content before you start using the service, and certainly before you end it, is recommended.

tt2

I can only repeat what I was explicitly told, which was that iTunes Match provides "Separate cloud storage", our conversation never had anything whatsoever to do with iCloud Drive or any other iCloud offering.

OK that's fine, but I'm just pointing out that this is what I was specifically told, after more than half an hour of discussion and her speaking with multiple different people at Apple including their engineering people. Take whatever you want from that.

For whatever it's worth, I elected to take the phone rep's word for what iTunes Match actually offers, and cancel my iTunes Match sub. I accept that if I ever cancel Apple Music I'll lose access to all the music I have uploaded, because I will maintain a local backup of whatever of it is totally irreplaceable (primarily my own original compositions... everything else is commercial music which can be obtained again if need be)

Sorry for being dumb Jim but I'm still confused. If all my music is now on "Music" then as long as I have "Music" am I right that I don't need iTunes Match as everything is kept within "Music". The only benefit of iTunes Match is if I discontinue "Music" then I lose everything and this would not happen f I had kept iTunes Match?

Many thanks everyone. I think I've got it now.

As I have everything in "Music" and I use both Time Machine and a backup to an external hard drive, it seems that I no longer need to continue with my iTunes Match subscription.

Just one thing to clarify - when my subscription expires will I still be able to sync my iMac to my iPhone and also sync my iPhone to my car?

For a year now, I’ve been trying to cancel iTunes Match. Under my account I could never find the **** thing. Two days ago. I got a notice that unless I update my payment card, I will lose iTunes match, which is exactly what I wanna do anyway. It tells me to sign into my iTunes account and then cancel it. I can’t find iTunes Match under my account. in fact, for many years, I never even knew I was part of iTunes match until I get notices. Thank you for any help.

Which also begs the question, what about all the songs I have paid for to play on my iPad/iPhone. Will canceling “match” take those away? I love my music I don’t wanna lose it. Anyway, the question is how do I find iTunes Match in my account?

Cissy B

I found it via my phone, that was the easiest way. I believe it was in the Apple ID settings area, it showed me every service I'm subscribed to and allowed me to edit/change/remove the subscriptions.