Apple's
iTunes Match is a subscription service that allows you to upload and store all
your digital music files in the Cloud. Storing digital music in Apple's iCloud
service is one privilege that's reserved only for songs you buy from the iTunes
store.
But, what if your system is populated with songs from other sources that
you will like to save to the cloud as well for safety, how do you go about
that? That's where iTunes Match comes in.
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO AND USE ITUNES MATCH
By
subscribing to the iTunes Match service, you can upload songs that have come
from other sources, like ripped audio CDs, digitized recordings (e.g. - analog
tape), or downloaded from other online music services and websites. You get to
save your complete music library to the cloud.
One useful feature of the iTunes Match is the scan and match algorithm which first
analyses the contents of your music library. Rather than uploading every file
as with most online storage solutions, the scan and match algorithm in iTunes
Match first analyzes the contents of your music library.
If Apple already have
your songs in its huge online music catalog then it instantly populates your
iCloud music locker. This can be a huge time-saver especially if your music
library is large.
Setting Up iTunes Match
Requirements
The
first thing you'll need to make sure of is that your iTunes software is
up-to-date. Apple's software usually updates automatically, but you can force
iTunes to check for updates manually if you want to be sure.
In order to access
iTunes Match on a Mac or PC, you'll need at least version 10.5.1 of the iTunes
software. If you've got an Apple device, then you'll also need to check that
you meet the following minimum specifications:
o iPhone
(minimum 3GS)
o iPod
Touch ( 3rd generation or higher)
o iPad
or iPad 2
You'll
also, need at least version 5.0.1 of the iOS firmware installed on the above
Apple hardware.
If
you haven't got iTunes installed on your Mac or PC yet, then you can download
it for free from the iTunes website.
Signing up
As
mentioned earlier, you'll need the right version of the iTunes software to be
able to subscribe to iTunes Match. You'll also need an Apple ID in order to
Sign in to your iTunes account.
To
sign up for iTunes Match, ensure the iTunes software is running and do the
following:
·
In the left pane of iTunes, click the
iTunes Match menu option (underneath the STORE section).
·
A screen should now appear with a
description of the service and a subscribe button near the bottom. If you don't
get this screen, then click the Store menu tab followed by Turn on iTunes
Match.
·
If you decide that you don't want to
sign up after all, simply click the No Thanks button to quit the subscription
process. If you do want to proceed and sign up for a year, click the Blue
Subscribe button to proceed.
·
On the next screen, type in your
iTunes account security credentials (Apple ID and password) and then click the
Subscribe button. The credit card that is associated with your iTunes account
will then be billed as usual.
The Scan and Match Process
iTunes The match should now start its scan and match wizard which is a 3-step process. The
three stages are:
1.
Gathering information about your iTunes library
2.
Matching your music in the iTunes Store
3.
Uploading artwork and remaining songs
The
above steps are done automatically in the background and so you can use iTunes
as normal if you want to. If you've got a large library that contains a lot of
tracks that are unlikely to be matched, then this could take quite a long time.
When
the scan and match 3-step process is complete, click Done to finish. Now that
your music library is in iCloud, you will see a cloud icon next to Music in the
left pane of iTunes through which you can access your files.
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