iTunes Match Songs Not Purchased from iTunes

Where is the backup of your personal data (including music) of your old computer? You need to transfer that data to the new MBP.

iTunes Match only scans and matches an iTunes library. It does not scan and match an iOS device. The music may still be on the iOS device, though, so go to Settings > Music and turn off the iTunes Match service. Open the Music app and let the iTM data clear out. If the music is not still there and you do not have backups then your music is gone.

You will need to put your music on your MBP - the actual mp3 files, AAC files, etc. Then you will need to import those files into iTunes on your MBP. Then enable Match within iTunes on your MBP. iTunes will begin the process of matching the songs you have added to iTunes to songs in the iTunes store. Be aware, the matching process is not perfect and some songs may not match even though they should - you can find other posts on that frustrating topic. Once the matching process is done, enable Match on your other iOS devices, ensuring that you are logged in with the same Apple ID you used for iTunes on the MBP and all songs will show up on the iOS devices.

Once the matching process described above completes, you will be able to see which songs "matched" and which did not. The ones that did not will upload into your iCloud. The ones that did may be deleted (via iTunes) from your hard drive, but make sure not to delete them from the iCloud - there will be an option to do so during the deletion process but don't check the box. Once they are deleted, there will be a button to press to download the song from iTunes, giving you the higher quality version.

MarkPaolotti wrote:

I'm positive that i read from many sources that iTunes Match takes your music not purchased from the iTunes Store and matches them with their counterparts in iTunes' master library. Am I just blantantly wrong?

No, you're not wrong. That is what what iTunes Match does so the service can make your entire iTunes library available to up to 10 devices from the cloud. Some tracks, though, will not be matched and will instead be uploaded as-is.

MarkPaolotti wrote:

Also, what exactly do you mean when you say that iTunes Match only scans and matches an iTunes library, and not iOS devices.

It means exactly that. iOS devices are only clients of the iTunes Match service. Nothing that is on the devices is scanned to be matched or uploaded. This process only happens in iTunes on your computer.

MarkPaolotti wrote:

1) If that was the case why do I have an option to turn on iTunes Match on my iOS device, and 2) wasn't my collection of songs from iTunes and elsewhere, all being in my iTunes library, considered my iTunes library?

1. Because iTunes Match is built into iOS since version 5.x.x.

2. No. Only the songs in the iTunes library at the time of service activation is considered your "iTunes library." Tracks on iOS devices, but not in iTunes are in the library. And since you apparently has nothing in the iTunes libary on the MBPr when you activated the service nothing is what was scanned.

As e5c4p3artist points out, in his post above, you will need to add your music files to the new iTunes library on the MBPr for iTunes Match to have something to scan, match and upload. Since you don't have backups you'll need to start ripping from the original CDs. Before you start that I suggest you disable iTM in both iTunes and on your iOS devices. Most music previously purchased from the iTunes Store can be re-downloaded from your purchase history.

You're welcome.

Backup, backup, backup! Apple provides a very good tool in Time Machine.

This is helpful.

However, some of my purchase history seems to have disappeared as well. Why would this happen?

I still don't get it. How do I get music off the cloud and/or iTunes match that I uploaded myself (off of a CD, etc.)? On my desktop at home, I have 2000 songs--some purchased through iTunes, some not. All of these songs are in iTunes (whether they were manually uploaded or purchased online); my whole computer has been backed up in the cloud. Why can't I get the "unpurchased" songs off of the cloud onto my macbook? I just bought iTunes Match to try to solve this problem, but I still can't get these "unpurchased" songs. Am I going to have to physically take my macbook and run a cord between the two computers for this to work?

Additionally, what advantage does itunes match offer me if it does not facilitate this whole process?

confused and impatient

William