How can I change Album Art without iTunes Match reverting it back?

First, you need to make sure the artwork you are applying to the music is in a supported resolution for iTunes. The artwork should be either 300x300 or 600x600 at 72 DPI. Anything else and iTunes doesn't like it much.

Second, to apply artwork to an entire Album what I do is highlight the entire Album, do a Get Info and check the Artwork check box and click OK to clear the artwork. Then do the same thing and drag-n-drop the new artwork in. This should update the artwork and make is persistent as long as it the right size and resolution.

"done and done" what?

Have you made sure the artwork is in the correct size and resolution? Doing this solved pretty much all my artwork issues for me.

Ok, good. The next thing you can do is create a new, empty library by launching iTunes while holding down the Option key and choose "create new library." Do not have iTunes scan for media. Enable iTM on the new library, then find the troublesome music tracks and you will be able to modify the artwork just like on the physical tracks. Give that a try.

Yes, that would be similar. Although I'm not sure why this method would not work for you. I have had very good success with it. I would suggest that instead of invoking the "update iTM" command just let the service update on its own. See how that works for you.

How do you check if your artwork is the right size in iTunes? Is there an easy search for this?

To my knowledge there's not really a way to check it in iTunes, beyond just changing the artwork.

This issue is still present with iTunes 10.7 (21)

@see https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3546099?start=45&tstart=0

Hi,

Tell me about it!

To flush the iTunes Match cache for artwork, one needs to delete and also delete from iCloud.

1. Clear artwork.

2. Copy to a different library (2nd user is fastest under home sharing via import selection)

3. Delete album (also from iCloud)

4. Import album back from 2nd library

5. Allow Match, or get artwork via CONTROL (or right) click (tags have to match on album name with itunes, modify after), or paste in from Amazon art if not in iTunes.

Now your artwork is presentable on the large format iPad.

ps. iCloud retains the audio files which have been uploaded despite deleting. So any uploads will be 'matched', and you don't have to wait.

Whilst it is a little involved, correcting Artwork can be achieved as follows: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3650351.

He @mracole,

it is very nice that you post a solution to complete the library with artwork for album's that do not have an artwork. Your solution perfectly addresses the problem for assigning artwork, BUT this thread is about CHANGING artwork for albums already uploaded into iTunes Match. Just try to replace for example a blue artwork cover for an album with a red one. If you made it in a simple way (without deleting the album from iTunes Match and local changes on the files with an external ID3-Application or 2 or more iTunes libraries on different Mac's) this is the right place to give a solution. I really tried for hours to change the artwork to make them visible in landscape cover flow mode on my iPhone5. In rare cases I made it, but then the covers sometimes where restored to the old onces - exacly how it is mentioned by Starhawk

As long as there is no simple way to change the cover of an iTunes Match stored album (you can change title, artist and so on without hitting "update iTunes Match" over all distributed Library on different devices - this date will be synchronized almost instantly) I considered the behaviour from iTunes as BUGGY! For me the local artwork cache (and if there is any iCloud artwork cache - I don't know) do not interfere with iCloud. Even when I delete the whole local cache (album artwork music - everything) I do not manage to change the artwork.

Regards from Munich, Germany

Stefan,

I've posted a tried and true tested solution.
There is no need for dpi requirements either.

If you don't want to create a 2nd user or library, simply export or copy to desktop, delete library and iCloud, and re-import. Ensure tags and iTunes content match, and voila. Add images from Amazon if not present in iTunes.

He Yumbo,

I truly believe that your solution works. The main question about the cover issue for me is: "Why I must do a copy, delete from iCoud and re-import at all to change the album art? Should'nt be an update of covers as simple works as the rename of an artist or title? All changes in the iTunes library are simple and will be synchronized almost instantly through all libraries on different devices - only cover artwork changes requires ugly roundtrips!"

Regards

Stefan

PS: I double check what kind of covers do not appear in the iPhone5 cover flow view - all covers have a low resolution (300x298 around this area). When I replace them with the "extensive" solution you described the covers will show up. And by the way, there is no restriction to an upper cover size - I have also covers with (>1000 x >1000) those albums show stunning cover art, at the Mac and also at my iPhone.

PPS: As long as it do not work in a simple expected way I considered replacing of cover art as BUGGY - I would say: "unaccaptable".