How to sync music using iCloud?

Question

Level 1

16 points

How to sync music using iCloud?

I'm living in Switzerland and the Swiss Apple website says that music syncing is possible with iCloud. Yet on all my devices (iPhone 4, iPad 1, Mac Book Pro, and iMac) there is no option for music syncing just apps and books.

Is there something I need to do to enable this (note: I have looked in the Store settings for the iPhone after upgrading to iOS5 and only apps and books are available there is no slider for music - on the Swiss Apple website there is a third music option which I do not see)? Or is the information on the Swiss Apple website incorrect and I need to wait till they enable it?

If the latter it would save a lot of grief if Apple would provide the correct information on their website as I spent hours trying to figure this out so far.

iPhone 4, iOS 5

Posted on Oct 17, 2011 2:53 AM

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Answer 1

Oct 18, 2011 1:53 AM in response to angel13

Same problem here. Come on Apple, inform your customers!

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Answer 2

Oct 18, 2011 3:14 AM in response to angel13

In iTunes preferences, under Store, do you have Music ticked under Automatic Downloads?

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Answer 3

Oct 18, 2011 3:05 AM in response to igmackenzie

Music isn't given as an option. Only Apps and Books. I guess there is some kind of regional restriction in effect. Just wish Apple would present some official explanation. A one-liner within iTunes itself would save a lot of unnecessary info-hunting.

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Answer 4

Oct 18, 2011 3:15 AM in response to SwissDude

I don't think it is area restricted. This from the Swiss site http://www.apple.com/chfr/icloud/features/

Looks like it should be there - even with my limited French!

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Answer 5

Oct 18, 2011 4:12 AM in response to igmackenzie

That's the point. If we were to believe the Apple blurb, it would seem clear that music syncing is part of the package. Nevertheless, Music does not appear as an option on any of my devices, which include MacBook, MacBook Pro, iPhone, iPad, all of which are either iOS5 or Lion 10.7.2.

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Answer 6

Oct 18, 2011 4:29 AM in response to SwissDude

I feel there must be a simple answer to your issue, as it is not apparently region dependent.

Maybe someone else can provide the answer.

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Answer 7

Oct 18, 2011 4:20 AM in response to angel13

As far as I'm aware the music syncing is available in the US only for now.

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Answer 8

angel13 Author

Level 1

16 points

Oct 18, 2011 4:24 AM in response to SwissDude

Exactly the problem.

I read somewhere that Apple was negotiating rights to do music syncing in the UK prior to the launch so it is plausible they still don't have the rights from the Swiss music distributors.

Which I can fully understand but I am upset because I wasted a lot of time trying to figure out something because it is explicitly advertised to be available on their website but isn't. Up till now the Swiss website has been very good at showing what is actually available here.

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Answer 9

Oct 18, 2011 4:43 AM in response to angel13

Are you guys not talking about iMatch? It's only available in the US. Syncing is different. What it means is that if you buy a song on one device it'll appear on all your devices automatically. Not the same as iMatch at all.

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Answer 10

angel13 Author

Level 1

16 points

Oct 18, 2011 4:41 AM in response to igmackenzie

I'm not talking about iMatch. Just plain music syncing.

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Answer 11

Oct 18, 2011 4:45 AM in response to angel13

OK, do you have some link to the information you mentioned above, then? I don't see why syncing should be a rights issue at all. After all, it's what we have always done in the past, it's just that it's been made easier.

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Answer 12

angel13 Author

Level 1

16 points

Oct 18, 2011 4:52 AM in response to igmackenzie

Unfortunately I didn't save the URL of the discussion and can not vouch for its validity.

I can understand it as a rights issue where it relates to having access to music purchased once on many devices. If I understood correctly this syncing is limited to only a certain number of devices (I think I read 10 somewhere). I don't know the validity of any of this but it seems plausible and would certainly explain why the service is not yet available. But all this is speculation on my part. I would rather hear a straight answer from Apple about what is available and not.

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Answer 13

angel13 Author

Level 1

16 points

Oct 18, 2011 4:55 AM in response to angel13

I should add of course syncing music between 1 computer and an iPhone and or iPad of course is already available via cable but what this adds is the ability to sync your music to every computer as well which is new.

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Answer 14

Oct 18, 2011 5:02 AM in response to angel13

OK, all I know is that I just purchased an album on iTunes on my Mac, and immediately it appeared on my iPhone and iPad.

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Answer 15

angel13 Author

Level 1

16 points

Oct 18, 2011 5:05 AM in response to igmackenzie

Are you in Switzerland or the UK?

And if Switzerland tell us how you managed to get it to work because I don't see the option neither on my iPhone, my iPad, my iMac nor my MacBook Pro. I only have syncing for Apps and Books.

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