Can't Sync Playlists Since Turning on iTunes Match

I've also worked in IT for a while and nothing is more frustrating to users than a "tech" that won't listen and explains a whole different problem and solution from false assumptions.

I can tell its just a bug or deficiency.

What I want is simple. It's just for synching playlists to start working again when they involve non-cloud items.

I know how to go to the iTunes tabs and select what I want. No playlists show up anymore but cloud ones. Surely you can get my simple statement. I don't need a rationalization on why podcasts aren't uploaded to music match since that doesn't matter to me. I just want my playlists to show up again. This is also an issue for some audio books not bough from iTunes. It's just a bug in the implementation.

I'm not waiting for them to fix it. I get by, but rationalizing away the issue doesn't help them fix it either.

I get it. You can't help.

He doesn't have "more knowledge than both of us" if he can't get my simple statement and has to rationalize it away without answering.

I get he probably knows a lot and has helped with numerous other things.

I wasn't trying to bash music match just explaining some people have non-cloud items in playlists and it would be nice to synch em these as playlists again.

Rationalization a on why podcasts aren't uploaded to the cloud are irrelevant, just as are reasons certain items are non-cloud for any reason.

I liked being able to include these in playlists that actually show up on the phone again without disabling music match.

I give up trying to explain or getting any real help from thus thread since you don't care about playlists for podcasts or iTunes U or other non-cloud stuff.

netsoup, I understand what you are saying but have no answers for you. You are 100% correct in what you said in your first paragraph. It took me close to 50 calls & 4 months time before I got someone from support to finally solve my playlist problem when itunes match first came out. It was something so simple but no one had the answer until I finally got the right person. Hang in there.

Netsoup,

Please open iTunes on your computer, go to a playlist that is not "iTunes Match" friendly (ie has the cloud with the slash through it). Now go to a file that has an iCloud status with the same icon. Right click on that file, choose "get info" and click on the "options" tab at the top of the pop up window that comes up. What does the Media Kind say? If it is anything other than MUSIC, it most likely will NOT be uploaded. Also, look at the "Info" tab and look at the encoding specifications as well as the file size. Then compare it to the specifications outlined in the Apple article on details about iTunes Match. I have copied in some specifics that you need to take interest in. So even if it is a Media Kind music, it still has to meet other specifications/criterial before iTunes Match will accept it.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4914?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

Additional Information

Notes

• iTunes Match is limited to 25,000 songs.
• iTunes Store purchases made with the same Apple ID being used for iTunes Match do not count towards the 25,000 song limit.
• Unmatched content will be uploaded as is; upload time varies depending on the amounts uploaded and local network speeds.
• Song files over 200 MB will not be uploaded to iCloud.
• Songs containing DRM (Digital Rights Management) will not be matched or uploaded to iCloud unless your computer is authorized for playback of that content.

About file formats

• Songs encoded in ALAC, WAV, or AIFF will be transcoded to a separate temporary AAC 256 kbps file locally, prior to uploading to iCloud. The original files will remain untouched.
• Songs encoded as AAC or MP3 that do not meet certain quality criteria will not be matched or uploaded to iCloud.

iTunes Match availability

Learn more about iTunes Match availability.

Thanks!

The benefits of music match, and the value do outweigh the few quirks for now!

Is enabled me to consolidate libraries I've been struggling to do so for years, so it's worth waiting out as things get refined even better!

My only issue has been "non-cloud" approved tracks and the loss of certain playlists. The tracks are there in the respective apps though. I lost some playlists back when the apps were split out I think and other playlists that have the no-cloud symbol after enabling music match. It's not a real big problem really.

You realize I have no problem "knowing" what's not cloud compatible, little no-cloud icon and all, right?

My problem was relating to iTunes not letting me synch such playlists, and I wasn't asking apple to upload them twice to the cloud, right... I was just trying to get the ability to synch certain playlists to the phone again and have those playlists show up even though they're not official uploaded music match playlists and tracks.

You can't help with this one thing. That's ok. I actually understand what you're saying and its stuff i know and aside the problem.

Thank you

I wish this site actually would show me posts that are coming in as I am typing a response. 🙂

Netsoup,

I have acknowledged your issue. You want playlists to sync to iTunes Match, even if they have non compatible content in them. The simple matter is they are excluded from iTunes Match.

What I suggested to you before was to add a filter to smart playlists to only include Media Kind = Music. For manual playlists, you will need to 1) Remove any content that iTunes Match does not like -OR- 2) create a duplicate playlist but call it "My Playlists - iTunes Match" and then copy only the content iTunes Match likes. After doing either of those actions, you will then see that playlist in iTunes Match. It just may take longer than 5-10 minutes for it all to sync across/update.

I have also not tried to explain away the issue. You want it to work a certain way. You are the one refusing to change the approach you are using with your playlists and not adapting them to the rules of iTunes Match. So if you have anything to complain about, it is yourself.

You have strangers taking time out of their day suggesting to you how you can overcome these challenges. You then insult those people because they didnt crack open the Apple code and change the rules of the service. All you made me (and probably other interested parties) want to do was hit the "unsubscribe to this discussion."

Well played.

Again you don't listen or help. I'm not trying to take your time, except to let you know you are not listening and are explaining a wrong answer, not answering my actual question.

I never said I want to upload non-cloud compatible items to the iCloud.

I specifically said I would like the ability back to synch playlists and "non-icloud" friendly tracks to my phone again, but since enabling music match I no longer can synch certain playlists. If they're not cloud friendly, there seems to be no option to synch them, and iTunes U and podcast playlists aren't visible either.

Take a break and actually read and understand what I'm asking if you want to help.

Otherwise, arrogant comments of what "I'm not getting" while you keep reframing my question wrong and repeating ancillaries i already know and are aren't helpful.

Thank you

When iTunes Match first launched, any NEW smartplay list I created would sync. However I would only see the playlist on the iOS device. When I touched it to open, it was empty.

How I worked around the issue was this:

1. Go into iTunes on my computer, create a manual playlist named the same as the smart playlist, but add "iTunes Match"
2. Go to the Smart Playlist in iTunes, select all the songs in the playlist and copy them to the new manual playlist.
3. In iTunes on my computer, click on Store (at the top) and click Update iTunes Match.

When that was done, I would give it 5-10 minutes and then I would have the playlist on my iOS devices and would have the actual tracks.

I opened a ticket and worked with them for months, constantly checking for updates. They had me do a few different things. One action even broke the service (for me) for a while because I was over the 25k limit and had to shed some more weight before I could resume trying what they asked. Smart Playlists started working correctly, somewhat, eventually. But I eventually just turned off the service. It just isnt for those of us with extra large libraries.

Thanks for this. I have had problems with regular playlists and various playlist "versions" to and I think this will help.

Re: the non-cloud stuff, I hope it's addressed in an update.

Not asking apple to iCloud stuff outside their TOS, just to get the ability back to synch non-cloud playlists too. I love iTunes Match but that may be a consideration renew time.

Netsoup -

Even if you have iTunes Match enabled on your iOS device, you can sync Podcasts and iTunes U content to your iOS device. It just is not possible via a vehicle such as a "playlist." You have a plethora of options available to you, but one of those options is NOT a playlist. You need to get out of the discussions and get to talking to Apple directly via www.apple.com/feedback or a support ticket if you do not like how this works. There ISNT a solution and from Apple's perspective this is BY DESIGN, not a bug.

The assumption is if you have choosen a service such as iTunes Match, then you want to "untether" your iOS device from your computer and get everything from the cloud. It is an all or nothing option where media is concerned. However Music is treated just a little bit differently in the respect you supply it to the cloud. Pictures are treated differently as well as documented. This is because you bring that content to the service rather than the service bringing the content to you (like with Podcasts and iTunes U.) That is why there is a difference in the design and implementation of these services and why they just dont mix well in the cloud.

Who knows... maybe the new iTunes that is coming will change how this alll works...

I totally understand with the renewal. I chose to not renew. I like syncing the old fashioned way, and most of my newer purchases are all coming from iTunes anyway... which means they are available via iTunes in the Cloud anytime... even if I dont have iTunes Match.

iTunes Match's only purpose is to get your non iTunes obtained music in the cloud. By doing that you give up mixed content playlists. Fingers crossed the new iTunes app will change this for you. But I would not hold my breath. 😟

Thanks.

Sorry I got frustrated and frustrating trying to explain what you just said and obviously see too.

I do appreciate you taking your time to help, and the tip on dealing with occasional emtpy playlists or "play list version issues". For now, iTunes Match has helped so much to consolidate and get a grip on my large liberaries, but losing the ability to synch non-cloud and mixed playlists while having it enabled is a bugger.

Thank you!

No problem.... online forums is the easiest place on earth to get frusterated with another person.

I just wanted to make sure you knew you could still get the content on your device and use it. I know how frusterating it is to want something on my device and just cant get it there. So I sort of triaged overcoming that scenario as top priority. So you at least could have it available to watch or listen on the go, even if it wasnt your ideal way to get there. 🙂

New to board, here in desperation:

My goal is to get 80 Christmas songs from my computer to my wifes phone tonight for a party tomorrow. I can't do it anymore. Help!

So is there still a way to just sync a playlist from my itunes library to an iphone 4? I just upgraded to itunes 11 and am now using iCloud. My old device sync options no longer seem available in itunes 11 even though I had tunes match was turned off on the phone. Then I turned on itunes match in desperation but that process has been churning for about 40 minutes and I do not know what will happen. Can I still just sync a playlist?

Also, my music library is very large, but my phone space and bandwith are limited. If unsubscribe from the iCloud does this playlist syncing challenge go away?