Questions about canceling iTunes Match (Apple Music user)

Hi,

This is a user tip I created iTunes Match User Tips. I don't know the impact that cancelling iTunes match would have. I use both iTunes match and Apple music and intend to keep both at present.

Jim

Yes, I'd be interested to see the major differences or downsides to cancelling my iTunes Match sub. As far as I can see, if I cancelled, the basic things would be that obviously any tracks in my library that are not matched would not be available on my other devices. Apart from that, would I be correct in saying that the only other tracks that wouldn't be available to me are tracks or artists who's music isn't available on Apple Music. For instance while my 205 Beatles tracks are at present matched and available on my other devices, I presume if I cancelled my Match sub, they wouldn't be available on my iPhone etc. (unless obviously, if I went back to manual syncing etc)

Also, it'd be great if Apple did a yearly iTunes match and Apple music one payment package subscription...(and hopefully discounted!)

The other question on another thread is 'what happens to my music if I cancel iTunes Match' or similar.

This may be need to be clarified but I believe that nothing should happen to your music on your main computer that the initial iTunes match was and is done from. Even if you replaced dodgy sounding tracks with matched versions as most of us have probably done at this stage. And also nothing should happen to your unmatched/uploaded files by cancelling iTunes Match.

But as always, just in case, you've always got your Time Machine backup. We've all got that haven't we...

It's past the point where I can edit my post above now, but having added my work email as another family member under Apple Music, it seems I was incorrect in saying that unmatched/uploaded tracks would not be available on other devices (my work iPad). It seems they are, so therefore I can make these assumptions as to the main differences between using iTunes Match (and Apple Music) or just using Apple Music.

1. Less tracks will be matched using only Apple Music (I think I read there's around 30 million for Apple Music and around 43 million on the iTunes store)

2. Any track that is matched in iTunes on the 'main' computer will be available on another computer but it will be the DRM version

3. Uploaded/unmatched tracks on the main computer will be available on another computer but should not have DRM

4. If you 'remove download' a matched track (ripped from a CD or other source) on your main computer and re-download it, it will then have DRM.

Assuming this is all pretty much correct, there's not really a huge benefit to having iTunes match if you are going to subscribe to Apple Music.

sweet-jane wrote:

@Jim, thanks for the link. While I had seen some of those resources before, I found Kirk McElhearn's piece about the fingerprinting-metadata-matching issue interesting.

May I ask why you decided to keep both AM and iTM?

Hi,

My iTunes match subscription does not expire until April 2016 but at present I think I will keep iTunes match.

Whilst not perfect, I am happier with the matching process used by iTunes match. I also use two computers and copy music to the other one and vice versa without the need to worry about DRM. I also rely on my iPod classic whilst out and about. I also buy a lot of CDs! Apple music is good for hearing new music.

Jim

It gives me some minor comfort to report that my Beatles albums remain propagated and playable throughout my devices. None of these albums have a match in Apple Music, as we know. But were they matched in iTunes Match (since it has been argued their collection is significantly larger than AM's)? How can I find out?

Well, all my Beatles tracks have Matched status. Hmmm. What would happen if I ran File/Library/Update iCloud Music Library? Should I? Like you, I have spent years tidying up my library (artwork and metadata) little by little to only have it become a mess should I run Update iCloud Music Library. And I don't have the time and patience to clean up after Apple. It all circles back to my initial complaint: it infuriates and frustrates me that no one with deep knowledge/experience of our situation (AM subscriber and newly unsubscribed to iTM) has volunteered their wisdom in this forum.

Hi,

I would be great if Apple produced a definitive document on what happens with your iCloud Music library when you cancel iTunes match and subscribe to Apple Music.

When you cancel iTunes match, you retain the music that is on your hard drive including all matched tracks you upgraded. Before Apple music, you would lose the ability to stream that music on other devices except for previous iTunes purchases. By the way, Apple keeps your match library for 30 days in case you decide to renew late.

What happens when you have both is not clear. I would expect that if you cancel iTunes match and selected update iCloud music library, your library would be scanned again and tracks not in AM catalog (e.g. The Beatles) would be removed (ICloud status changed to 'removed'). I have experience of purchased tracks that were no longer available in iTunes store being removed from the cloud and having an iCloud status of 'Removed'. Therefore, you would need to select the tracks and use the command to add them to iCloud - will then be uploaded.

Maybe @ohneSchatten can relate his experience if he updates his iCloud Music Library.

Jim

Jim and sweet-jane, I haven't updated my iCloud Music Library. Very afraid to do so now that I cancelled iTM and with little time, patience or energy to do battle with Apple and all the unknowns surrounding iTM and AM. All of my Beatles tracks (which were Matched while I was on iTM) were ripped from CD so I am assuming they are still mine and will continue to propagate among my iDevices. Of course those Beatles tracks were Matched to the iTunes catalogue and I am assuming they will remain so (knowing that The Beatles are not on Apple Music's catalogue). If it is true that Apple Music duplicates the iTM service, then those tracks ought to remain Matched. But it's easy for me to track what happens to my Beatles tracks because they are a discrete, visible set. But what about anything else that is Matched now but may not be after I update my iCML? How am I going to track those? My library has ~ 18,000 tracks. Anyway, should I summon the courage to update my iCML, I'll post results here.

Hi,

Whilst your Beatles albums have matched using iTunes Match, you should not assume they will remain in Apple Music. You can stream matched Beatles songs on other devices but once you change to Apple Music you will not be able to stream those songs from Apple Music library. Your Beatles tracks will need to be uploaded along with other tracks not available in Apple Music.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I would expect the matched songs that are not in Apple music will be removed and iCloud status cchanged to 'removed'. They should stay in your itunes library on your computer.

As you have now unsubscribed to match, you will be in a position to see what happens when you next update your iCloud music library.

Jim

Well, I have opted to renew my subscription to iTM. I guess the extra $25 per year is worth it considering I can't go through the headache of having to rebuild my music library should something had gone amiss. Just have no confidence that Apple Music will retain the metadata, artwork and track status I (and iTM) have diligently worked on over the years. Someone else will have to be the guinea pig for this exercise (that is, unsubscribing to iTM while retaining AM). Hopefully he/she/they will report his/her/their outcome here in this forum.