Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

How do I disable ads in iTunes Radio AND sync music using iTunes?

I am an iTunes Match subscriber (since the services was introduced). I would like to hear iTunes Radio without ads on my iPhone. The problem is, I still want to sync my iPhone with iTunes. I don't want to run the risk of going over my data plan caps, so I'd prefer to have iTunes sync my music.

In order to hear iTunes Radio without ads, I need to enable iTunes Match in the iPhone. However, when I connect the iPhone to my Mac, iTunes refuses to let me sync music since iTunes Match is enabled.

Shouldn't iTunes Radio recognize that my Apple ID is subscribed for iTunes Match without having to also enable iTunes Match on the phone, or is there a setting I'm missing?

Thanks!

iPhone 4S, iOS 6, iOS 7

Posted on Sep 25, 2013 11:41 AM

Best reply

PugetSoundguy

Level 1

10 points

Posted on Sep 25, 2013 11:59 AM

I think you are out of luck for now. I have had this same problem. I have paid for iTunes Match to get ad-free Radio but I don't want the additional functionality of Match because I have experienced the exact local synch problem you described above.

Reading through this forum it appears not everyone has had this problem, even with iOS 7. It appears it was possibly not a problem in iOS 6, but that is unclear, and is water under the bridge in any event. Not sure what's going on here.

Apple Support in a chat said a workaround is to make a playlist with all of your iTunes songs on your Mac. Then iTunes Match will show that playlist (eventually) on your phone. Then you hit the button provided on the screen to download everything in the playlist from the Cloud to your phone! This could take hours or days, even on a wireless network as opposed to cellular.

Frustrating! I have sent polite feedback to Apple suggesting that they not require full Match functionality for someone who just wants to pay for ad-free Radio. I speculate that this requirement is possibly part of an Apple business decision to encourage more reliance on streaming (with its revenue opportunities) as opposed to the more old-fashioned local storage. Just a theory; maybe it's a smart business decision, that's Apple's call, but I find it unfortunate for my needs.

View in context

18 replies

Apr 30, 2014 7:21 PM in response to XtremeArtists

Ok, You have been using iTunes Match as an all or nothing service, but here is how YOU seem to want to use it.

You want to manually manage what is and is not on your iphone without having to stream everything?

Congratulations, you can do that in match without having to use cellular data.

Enable match on your iphone, it might erase whatever music you have on there, so keep in mind what you do want stored on your device.

After Match has done it's business, on a WIFI connection download the songs you want to be on your device from the cloud. There are little download buttons next to every song, album, and artist.

Once everything you want has been downloaded to your device, go to your music settings (in the settings app) and turn off "show all music"

What that does is only lets your music player play the music stored ON your device. No cellular network required.

I hope this helps.

(it also enables you to use iTunes radio ad-free)

Apr 30, 2014 7:27 PM in response to Kirk McElhearn

iTunes match will default to 256 kbps AAC when it is a matched song (almost every song in the universe), for the songs that are not matched, but rather uploaded you will be playing the exact file you uploaded. Be it 320 kbps MP3, or a 64 kbps AAC.

What you get out of iTunes match is almost entirely dependent on what you put in.

Most of my songs are matched with a small percentage uploaded because they are rare/weird releases.

Apr 30, 2014 7:45 PM in response to andrewbatz

andrewbatz wrote:

...or a 64 kbps AAC.

The minimum requirement for a track to be mirrored in the cloud is 96 Kbps. Anything lower and the track will have a status of "ineligible."

How do I disable ads in iTunes Radio AND sync music using iTunes?