how do i upgrade songs to itunes plus

Not all DRM Protected songs became eligible for upgrades. I still have some left over that never became available for upgrade for one reason or the other.

Sign into the iTunes Store/Quick Links. In Quick Links, if your songs are eligible for upgrade, you'll see a link that says something like "Upgrades Available". If you don't see that, you have no songs that are eligible.

What I don't understand is this scenario:

Apple drop DRM

Some artists take their music out of Itunes because they don't want their music sold drm-free.

Over the last few years an artist changes their mind and Apple starts selling their music in Itunes

With this scenario the upgrade becomes available for people who have the DRM music.

If this is still true for many artists, the upgrade should never be dropped until all artists that were in Itunes at the time DRM was dropped finally go into the current Itunes store. Agreed this may never completely happem. However as long as there is one artist that can change their minds, the upgrade option should never go away. Just my opinion...

Will we ever know that number? Will we ever know if this applies to many artists?

pappy35 wrote:

I have purchases that are DRM-protected that I would like to upgrade to DRM-free. Searching help here says to go to the iTunes store and 'follow onscreen directions' to upgrade them them to DRM-free. There are no options for doing this.

Can someone please tell me if this can, in-fact, be done and, if yes, why on earth is it so hard to find out how???

Pappy,

You are correct that the "onscreen directions" are no longer there. The upgrade program ended a few months ago. The Quick Link disappeared from the Store home page, and the link in the iTunes Plus FAQ ceased to fuction.

If you still have a siginificant number of songs to upgrade, you can do so with iTunes Match.

Ed,

Thank you for this information. Can you explain a little more about how the upgrade works in iTunes Match? Could I download drm free versions to my computer from the cloud?

Thanks in advance,

Chris

Chris,

If Match is able to match the song with the same one currently for sale in the Store, it will use the Store copy.

It does not automatically replace your library copy. But if you delete your library copy, you can then go to the Cloud and download the matched copy, which will be 256, non-DRM.

Unfortunately, Match has been not exactly trouble-free, so you may want to read up before plunking down your $24.99. Check out the iTunes Match Forum on this Board to get some background.

So I have been messing this problem for a couple days now. And after reading all the different posts concerning this I don't think it will ever be fixed so when it comes to renew match again I wont be. But hopefully with my messing around someone else might be able to get futher with it then I did.

After renewing match I started having this problem. Could have come up sooner then that not sure but didn't get around to using it again after renewing it and was trying to clean up my music since I got a new pc for xmas.

There as some songs, that don't show a purchase date, but very few that don't work that show they should play and are available to download that just don't work at all.

But most that don't work, prob 90% or more, are purchased songs from itunes and show their purchase dates. They are songs that were eaither upgraded from their DRM versions when that itunes system was avaiable or ones I repuchased.

Im just going to give an example because I think it will be simpler to explain it that way.

I have Gravel Pit in my itunes 2 times...

Gravel Pit, Album = Wu - Tang Clan's Greatest Hits, iCloud Status = Matched, Purchase Date = 3/13/2006 - DRM version that was download when using the purchased link in the iTunes store.

Gravel Pit, Album = Wu - Tang Clan's Greatest Hits, iCloud Status = Purhased, Purchase Date = 12/8/2011 - This version wont download or play, the none DRM version.

Now if I go delete the DRM version that shows matched in my folder and open and close iTunes a few times till the download icon reapears song purchased on 3/13 and redownloaded it, I will get the none DRM version I purchased on 12/8/2011. But the download link for the 12/8/2011 still would not work.

Now if that is the actual issue with it or if there are other underling problems I don't know. But maybe someone else will be able to get futher with the issue then I did. Personally I'm just going to give up download what I can of any missing files and cut my loses and tell friends and fam not to get match its just not worth the headache.