iTunes Match - Best strategy to minimize uploads

Hi,

There is no easy option. Converting tracks will not in itself allow songs to be matched. I don't think it matters what format you are trying to match.

I have had some success, not a vast amount, when I have edited a track using Audacity. Firstly, I have checked that the track is in iTunes Store then checked timings. Often, the track in iTunes is one or two seconds shorter than the version on your computer. Edit song so that timings match - ps did not work where iTunes version was longer. Convert edited track to a different format.

Jim

Hi,

If you add "cloud status" from view option in your iTunes library, this will show status as matched, purchased, uploaded, ineligible or waiting. Outstanding tracks will have status as "Waiting"

Jim

Hi,

In iTunes select view from menu, then view options and then tick iCloud status from show columns.

Once you have done this you will be able to identify the tracks awaiting to be matched.

Jim

Tracks with awaiting status!

Jim

Actually, converting a track that did not match from one format to another will almost certainly not result in a match. When you cross convert one lossy format (MP3) to another lossy format (AAC) you are actually throwing away more data in the track.

The only success I have had in matching an uploaded track was when I re-ripped from the original CD at a higher bit-rate so there was more sound data in the track for the matching process to work with. I have never had success cross converting from AAC to MP3 or vise versa.

Hi,

I have had successful matches using this method especially where I have adjusted the timing - bit of hit or miss though. If the quality degrades from conversion to conversion, why is it possible to match 96kbs with 256kbs for example?

Jim

It's probably just a quirk of the matching process that you got a match. If a track is cross converted from a 96Kbps .mp3 to a 256Kbps AAC there certainly isn't any data added in the cross conversion. I'm not saying don't ever try it; just don't expect to get a match just from cross converting.

I could be. I don't know all the technical details but I do know that AAC is a more efficient encoder than just about any MP3 encoder so more data is kept when a CD is ripped as AAC than as MP3.

Hi,

I have not tried any rematching for a few months. However, I reviewed some tracks to see if could now get matches.

I was able to match one track by Travis and seven tracks by Tracy Byrd. The Travis track has been in the iTunes Store for some time but the tracks by Tracy Byrd have recently been added as part of a compilation.

I had to adjust timing on 3 of the tracks to match iTunes Store version. I then converted the format from AAC 256kbs to apple lossless. These tracks were successfully matched and downloaded.

I tried this without success on around 20 other tracks.

Jim

Well, it's official. ITunes Match is garbage.

Months after this issue was raised here the problem still exists.

I asked Apple for a refund based on the fact that Match is taking literally days to upload less than 1000 songs.

Not only this but it is sapping all my Internet speed on all other devices and my processor is running at full belt, rendering the computer useless for anything else.

Here is the response from Apple.

Hello Steven,

Evelyn here from the iTunes Store. I understand that you would like to have your purchase of iTunes Match considered for a refund as the process to upload is taking too long. I'm sure that you were not expecting the wait time to upload and enjoy your content. I will be happy to help.

Steven, I understand that you want to cancel your iTunes Match subscription and receive a refund. Once the cancellation is complete, you’ll no longer have access to matched or uploaded songs in the cloud. Therefore, please be sure to download everything before we issue the refund.

While I wait for your confirmation that you do want to move ahead with a refund, please keep in mind that your upload speed is not going to be as fast as your download speed. The time that you are reporting is expected behaviour.

SO, THIS IS EXPECTED BEHAVIOUR. I.E. YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME LOOKING FOR A FIX.

It's such a sub standard product that it's not fit for purpose.

Save your money.