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Why won't iTunes let me download or play my matched and uploaded music?

According to iTunes, I have 5,009 songs now available in iCloud. Most of these were either matched or uploaded. They are not stored locally on my PC, as I use an external hard drive for that, and it's not hooked up right now. I want to listen to some of my music on the PC.


When I open iTunes, the iCloud status reflects that songs are matched or uploaded, but there is no download icon next to them -- the only songs with that icon are ones that I originally purchased from iTunes. And there are also many songs that were purchased from iTunes that also don't have a download icon next to them. Everything has an exclamation point next to it, reflecting that my external hard drive isn't connected. And if I double-click any of the songs that don't have a download icon (most of them), I get the standard message that iTunes can't locate the song.


I've tried turning Match off and on multiple times, and also updating Match. Tried exiting iTunes and reopening. Nothing helps. In fact, every time I turn Match back on, it asks me if I want to add this computer to iCloud -- as if I haven't added it 10 times already.


Match has been working fine on my iPod.


Here's what I'm seeing, just to illustrate -- you can see that there is a download icon next to the songs in one album, which was purchased, but nothing netx to the otehrs, which are all matched or uploaded:


User uploaded file


I'm going nuts. Can anyone help me figure out what's going on or what I'm doing wrong?

Posted on Jan 10, 2012 7:41 AM

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3 replies

Jan 10, 2012 7:49 AM in response to mirslam

Ok, never mind -- I think I found the answer in someone else's post -- looks like I have to delete all of these songs from my iTunes library, but leave them in the cloud -- and that will get me the download icon and let me play them. Really counterintuitive, and now I'm wondering what happens when I sync my iPod with iTunes -- won't the deleted songs also get deleted from my iPod, making me have to redownload them? But I'm sure I'll figure it out.

Jan 10, 2012 2:50 PM in response to mirslam

Instead of deleting all the songs from your iTunes library just create a new, empty library and enable iTM. This will allow you to then stream the music in iTunes without messing wtih the original, master library.


As to your question about syncing, with iTM enabled on iOS devices direct syncing with iTunes via USB or Wi Fi is disabled. All music is managed directly on the iDevice.

Jan 11, 2012 4:19 AM in response to Michael Allbritton

I agree with Michael. What's happening is because you broke the link to your external drive. As far as Match is concerned, you still have all of those songs available to you locally.


If you've never created a new library in iTunes, it's easy and painless. Switching back to your main library after you hook back up your external drive is easy too. On a Mac you just hold down the option key when launching iTunes to get the prompt to either create a new library or to link to one you already have - simple as that.


For what it's worth, I set up a second library after enabling iTunes Match. All I put in it is new music I want added to the cloud. It saves me a lot of time and if I really want a copy of the songs locally in my main library, they still show up via Match as downloads, so I can grab them anytime.

Why won't iTunes let me download or play my matched and uploaded music?

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