Google Play or itunes Match

[tedesco24]

I've downsized my iPhone 5 from 32gb to 16gb. I drank the Apple Kool-Aid as I have the 5 and Macbook Pro, so I'm all about staying in the Apple framework.
However reading about itunes Match has made me wonder if it will do what I want, which is to have complete access to my music library anytime, anywhere. I have a library of around 3500 songs, 23gb. Google Play will comfortably fit my entire collection and it's free. So why should I use iTunes? I'm not being smart, just trying to discover the differences. Thank you.

[Alith]

I haven't bought a single song since subscribing to Spotify Premium. I don't think the other music services come close. 320kbps streaming and syncing to mobile devices and a bunch of apps that add social features and music discovery. £10 a month, no ads, unlimited listening. Good times.

[DMaki650]

Originally Posted by tedesco24

I've downsized my iPhone 5 from 32gb to 16gb. I drank the Apple Kool-Aid as I have the 5 and Macbook Pro, so I'm all about staying in the Apple framework.
However reading about itunes Match has made me wonder if it will do what I want, which is to have complete access to my music library anytime, anywhere. I have a library of around 3500 songs, 23gb. Google Play will comfortably fit my entire collection and it's free. So why should I use iTunes? I'm not being smart, just trying to discover the differences. Thank you.

With iTunes Match any song you buy does NOT count towards the max upload limit (this also includes any song you have in your library that you have already bought, along with any songs you have that iTunes Match matches). The Only songs that count toward the max upload limit are the songs that it has to physically upload that it can't match. Where as with google play you get a limit of 20,000 tracks and uploading takes a long time. All 3500 of your's would count towards that limit. But they both are good services. I used Google Play for a while back when i had android.

[tedesco24]

Originally Posted by DMaki650

With iTunes Match any song you buy does NOT count towards the max upload limit (this also includes any song you have in your library that you have already bought, along with any songs you have that iTunes Match matches). The Only songs that count toward the max upload limit are the songs that it has to physically upload that it can't match. Where as with google play you get a limit of 20,000 tracks and uploading takes a long time. All 3500 of your's would count towards that limit. But they both are good services. I used Google Play for a while back when i had android.

Most of my music collection has been ripped from CD's. Would those songs count towards the upload limit?

[DMaki650]

Originally Posted by tedesco24

Most of my music collection has been ripped from CD's. Would those songs count towards the upload limit?

If iTunes can match them with what's in the iTunes store then no they would not count towards the limit. I have around 12,000 tracks in my itunes collection and out of all that there are around 150 tracks that it could not find.

[tedesco24]

Originally Posted by DMaki650

If iTunes can match them with what's in the iTunes store then no they would not count towards the limit. I have around 12,000 tracks in my itunes collection and out of all that there are around 150 tracks that it could not find.

Wow, I completely misunderstood that. I was under the impressions that the only songs that did not count towards my total were songs I bought in the itunes store. This new piece of info really changes things!

[KeithJenner]

Originally Posted by DMaki650

If iTunes can match them with what's in the iTunes store then no they would not count towards the limit. I have around 12,000 tracks in my itunes collection and out of all that there are around 150 tracks that it could not find.

That's incorrect. Matched songs do count towards the limit.

However, as the OP only has 3,500 tracks then it doesn't really matter much.

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Originally Posted by tedesco24

I was under the impressions that the only songs that did not count towards my total were songs I bought in the itunes store. This new piece of info really changes things!

Your original thinking was correct.

[DMaki650]

Originally Posted by KeithJenner

That's incorrect. Matched songs do count towards the limit.

However, as the OP only has 3,500 tracks then it doesn't really matter much.

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Your original thinking was correct.

Huh, they havent for me. Maybe they changed it then. No Worries. Sorry for the confusion. Maybe it's a glitch for me. I have over 12,000 songs and when I view by album view there's quite a few that are Matched and there not showing up for my total count limit at all.

[urban19]

Originally Posted by tedesco24

I've downsized my iPhone 5 from 32gb to 16gb. I drank the Apple Kool-Aid as I have the 5 and Macbook Pro, so I'm all about staying in the Apple framework.
However reading about itunes Match has made me wonder if it will do what I want, which is to have complete access to my music library anytime, anywhere. I have a library of around 3500 songs, 23gb. Google Play will comfortably fit my entire collection and it's free. So why should I use iTunes? I'm not being smart, just trying to discover the differences. Thank you.

I think the best solution is to put only albums you like better on iPhone. I bet you won't miss a lot of songs.
But 3500 is really a lot what artists are in your library?

[KeithJenner]

Originally Posted by DMaki650

Huh, they havent for me. Maybe they changed it then. No Worries. Sorry for the confusion. Maybe it's a glitch for me. I have over 12,000 songs and when I view by album view there's quite a few that are Matched and there not showing up for my total count limit at all.

Where are you getting the info about your count limit? I'm not aware of any way of seeing how much of your limit you have used except for just using a smart playlist to add up matched and uploaded songs.

[emvath]

I've had a different experience with iTunes match. I have around 17,000 songs and there are only about 2,000 that iTunes DID match. I've had terrible luck with it and did not renew my membership. I do realize though that some people have had much more success matching than others.

[gnasher729]

Originally Posted by tedesco24

I've downsized my iPhone 5 from 32gb to 16gb. I drank the Apple Kool-Aid as I have the 5 and Macbook Pro, so I'm all about staying in the Apple framework.
However reading about itunes Match has made me wonder if it will do what I want, which is to have complete access to my music library anytime, anywhere. I have a library of around 3500 songs, 23gb. Google Play will comfortably fit my entire collection and it's free. So why should I use iTunes? I'm not being smart, just trying to discover the differences. Thank you.

Main reasons for iTunes Match: 1. It upgrades all lower-quality music to AAC 256Kbit, if it is available in the iTunes store. 2. It updates playlists and everything else. 3. You know that it works.

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Originally Posted by emvath

I've had a different experience with iTunes match. I have around 17,000 songs and there are only about 2,000 that iTunes DID match. I've had terrible luck with it and did not renew my membership. I do realize though that some people have had much more success matching than others.

My numbers are completely the opposite. It even matched music that I had recorded from LPs (not all, but 50% or so). Stuff bought at Amazon matched 98% or better.

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Originally Posted by tedesco24

Most of my music collection has been ripped from CD's. Would those songs count towards the upload limit?

Music ripped from CD would most likely be matched and not uploaded (that means you can download exactly what's on the iTunes Store, and not what's on your computer), but it would count against the 25,000 song limit.

[DMaki650]

Originally Posted by KeithJenner

Where are you getting the info about your count limit? I'm not aware of any way of seeing how much of your limit you have used except for just using a smart playlist to add up matched and uploaded songs.

After iTunes Match finish's uploading music in the ITunes Match window it shows me how much I have uploaded. That Is how I know.

[KeithJenner]

Originally Posted by DMaki650

After iTunes Match finish's uploading music in the ITunes Match window it shows me how much I have uploaded. That Is how I know.

But why do you then believe that it doesn't count towards your 25,000 limit? From what you are saying there, it just says it's been uploaded, not that it will or won't count towards the limit.

[DMaki650]

For it actually says how many I have not how many I've uploaded. It's possible it's just a glitch. iTunes has been acting really funny for me.

What I was trying to say is that Matched songs for me have NOT been counting towards my max limit. I no there supposed to, but since they have not been for me I just assumed that Apple changed it.

[KeithJenner]

Originally Posted by DMaki650

For it actually says how many I have not how many I've uploaded. It's possible it's just a glitch. iTunes has been acting really funny for me.

What I was trying to say is that Matched songs for me have NOT been counting towards my max limit. I no there supposed to, but since they have not been for me I just assumed that Apple changed it.

I think I'll leave it here, as you have just confused me now.

It will just say that when iTunes match finishes it just says "xxx songs are now available in iCloud". This number is the amount that are in your cloud library, and has nothing to do with how many are being taken against your limit.

I honestly can't see how you have decided that the matched ones are, or are not counted against the 25,000 allowance. The only way that I know to confirm it is to actually reach the allowance. If you only have 12,000 songs then you can't have checked that, so I don't see how you can know how many of your allowance is left.

[adeedew]

I have both with around 13,000 songs. Match is very buggy IMO but since it plays in the native IOS music player it's a bit easier than replying on the gomusic or other good music apps to play your library. I found google music alot smoother to upload my songs over a day or so Vs match can take days and will at time fail or stop. Not a google/android guy ,but its free so I'd say in this case google music wins. FYI your entire library on google with download in mp3 not AAC. Also seems to have a limit on how long a track can be. For an example a 4+ hour file even though under their 300mb limit still won't play beyond 3 hours

[sim667]

Does google match or itunes match replace your original files on the computer you upload from?

I dj a bit, and dont want my 320's reduced to 256's by itunes match..... or the explicit versions replaced with clean ones.