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Apple Raises iTunes Match and Apple Music Library Matching Limits to 100,000 Tracks

I have to say that Spotify is decimating my need to have a music collection in iTunes.

I bought an Air with 128GB storage and I was thinking of getting a 256GB microSD card to store my music library. Then I realised Spotify exists. I don't know how much of my iTunes lib is not on Spotify, maybe 5%? But I am too lazy to create a new library with 5% tracks checked one by one only so I can attach it to Spotify and have everything.

I have 40 GB of music on my phone (streaming with my data limit is impossible). It's very rare really that I want to listen to something I don't have on it. Music library is like book library in a certain aspect. We buy books we read once, then never again, but we don't run to throw them away immediately after reading.

Match is something I want, but I don't need.
 
My iTunes Match is set to expire later this month and I will not renew since I'm also an Apple Music subscriber with family plan. The music I matched using iTunes Match is available on Apple Music so I will simply just find them on Apple Music and add them to my library.

Matching really isn't that important anymore if the music you're matching is available in Apple Music and you're subscribed to it.
 
iTunes Match is a great tool when it works right. And when you understand it and use it correctly.

iTunes Match for those who are confused to if they need it, will scan all your music and playlist and store them in the in your iTunes Match style cloud. It Will match those on the iTunes Store and upload mixes or those that are not. And will allow you to download them as many times as you want until your membership expires. It's a storage device for your all your music. All the downloads come DRM FREE.

Apple Music Allows you to listen,steam and download music from iTunes. And has some limitations. Just like all music streaming services. But the downloads are locked. And once your membership expires. The music goes with it.

iTunes Match, has its faults but personally it has gotten better. Apple have made it confusing to understand. But as an example recently my home was broken into all my music, macs and hard drives were taken. Once the insurance paid out, I was able to redownload all my music just like it was.

So dispite its issues and it has many, iTunes Match does serve a purpose. And it's all down to what the individual wants, and how we all use our music. iTunes Match is slow thsts my main gripe.
 
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I would rather they sort out the bugs so it actually works properly. Family sharing is a mess, and you have to keep turning it on and off just to put my own music on my damn phone. Apple music sucks compared to other services..
 
Might give iTunes Match a go. Still going to hold onto my own music, spotify is the closest for me to jump ship to streaming , though will wait another year to see where steaming is at. Hopefully Apple Music improves .
 
melliflu said:
This decision is not green and not sustainable. I have 255 tracks and I think it's plenty.
Who really needs 100K tracks except for showing off or compulsive hoarding ?
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lkrupp said:
Anybody with over a thousand or so tracks is a compulsive hoarder. Instead of Apple raising some limit those people should be compelled to get professional help from a psychiatrist.
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I like piano. Just checked my iTunes library (purchased, ripped, etc.)
Oscar Peterson : 1475 files
Frederic Chopin: 2326 files (obviously different interpreters)
I can name each track name album and interpreter in barely three seconds.
But if you need an explanation for this, there's no way you can understand it
 
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sofila said:
I like piano. Just checked my iTunes library (purchased, ripped, etc.)
Oscar Peterson : 1475 files
Frederic Chopin: 2326 files (obviously different interpreters)
I can name each track name album and interpreter in barely three seconds.
But if you need an explanation for this, there's no way you can understand it
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I HAVE NO UNDERSTANDING FOR PEOPLE'S NEEDS BEYOND MY OWN. PLEASE DON'T TRY TO EXPLAIN!

m
 
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ke-iron said:
My iTunes Match is set to expire later this month and I will not renew since I'm also an Apple Music subscriber with family plan. The music I matched using iTunes Match is available on Apple Music so I will simply just find them on Apple Music and add them to my library.

Matching really isn't that important anymore if the music you're matching is available in Apple Music and you're subscribed to it.
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You don't need to "find them on Apple Music and add them to my library". Apple Music allows you to match you music and even upload tracks not available in the streaming service, although it doesn't work quite like iTunes Match (source).
 
tgwaste said:
After an $1100 phone. Yes
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With that said, you think people who buy $80k-$120k + cars get free gas for life? No. They just get the car and support for a certain period of time. Price doesn't dictate what should be free or given. Expectations these days are off the wall. Stop being cheap and spend the whopping 99 cents a month for 50 gigs of storage. Lol
 
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AbSoluTc said:
With that said, you think people who buy $80k-$120k + cars get free gas for life? No. They just get the car and support for a certain period of time. Price doesn't dictate what should be free or given. Expectations these days are off the wall. Stop being cheap and spend the whopping 99 cents a month for 50 gigs of storage. Lol
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It's incredible that people whine about paying less than $12 a year (roughly one "meal" for two at McDonalds in the US) for that level of storage. Apple provides 5GB of free storage, Dropbox provides 2GB. Want more? Pay for it.

Those same people apparently think Apple, a for-profit business (best to say that with a little sneer and squinty eyes for effect - to let people know you're disgusted), should provide *everybody* 50GB of storage for free and take a hit in the process. Truly amazing - the level of entitlement people demand. I wouldn't be surprised if that $11.88/year doesn't hit Apple's apportioned costs for 50GB along with the associated infrastructure/support/development-costs required for the operation.
 
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This is an interesting topic in general. Cloud services – too expensive. Starbucks – just fine. Streaming music for €9.99 a month – ridiculous! nobody should be forced to spend SO MUCH on music! Buying a €449 iPod to listen to the (pirated) music? That's fine.

Apple, however, have insane profit margins and everybody knows that. I think that's where the anger at 16GB iPhones, 5400rpm hard drives and no 50 GB free storage comes from. It's not like they're balancing on the edge of bankruptcy while trying their best to offer us cutting edge solutions at minimum prices. I think that's why people are pissed off. It's like when I go to a club and pay €50 to get in and then discover I have to pay €2 to use the toilet. It doesn't bankrupt me, but it doesn't make me want to come back next month either.
 
sampaul said:
I totally agree with you. Instead of using up the Apple servers with increased iTunes Match matching limits, they should instead increase the free iCloud storage limit from 5 GB to something around 15-20 GB. Maybe I am being unrealistic, but hey its better than the increased matching limits.
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Oh, so the people actually paying for server space should get shortchanged and the people who aren't paying should get more. Right.
 
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WardC said:
The only REAL feature I want out of iTunes and the music store is to offer truly uncompressed AIFF audio files of all tracks in their database. I don't care if Apple charges more or makes it a premium service. I can easily tell the audio quality difference in Apple's 256k AAC and a True 1411K AIFF file, the difference is tremendous if you use good speakers or headphones. Can't really tell squat difference if you are using iPod earbuds.

Beatport offers this service, but they don't carry the full spectrum of music that Apple carries. As of now, the only way to get this quality on some music is to buy the CDs and rip them, after all , whatI am talking about is the raw full quality 44.1k 16-bit AIFF file which contains 100% of the audio data. Apple's current 256k AAC is so compressed it only contains about one-eighth of the full audio data of the track.

It's almost 2016 and Apple should be doing this by now. The nation's carriers have the bandwidth and Apple has the server space...I just wonder why Apple won't carry a premium uncompressed file service. I am hoping they do make this an upcoming feature because I know I'm not the only one who wants full-quality uncompressed audio at the iTunes Music Store!!
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I agree. Call it Apple Music Pro and charge 14.99 for it.
 
sw1tcher said:
You just answered your own question and you still don't understand the point? o_O
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Well for one, not all albums are on AM - for example Adele's new one isn't, so if you bought the physical CD like millions have you can match it, or upload the songs to Match and listen to it anywhere, if you're just an AM subscriber then you can't.
 
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YankeeSR23 said:
Well I can 100% confirm this is working. I have a library of 76,205 songs and whenever I would try to signup for iTunes Match it would give me the error of having a library that was too big. Tonight though was a different story. iTunes just let me signup and as we speak it is scanning my library.

Question though for longtime users: I am using a MBPr and have NO idea how long the scan will take. Advice? Do I leave the screen up and hope it continues even when the screen is off? Or can I close the lid and hope it keeps going or do I need to restart it overtime I open the screen? And if I restart it will it leave off where it was before or will it have to do the same work over and over again?
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Back when Match was launched, I remember some of the users with larger libraries talking about leaving it on overnight... I would leave the screen up, and if the screen goes off (assuming it's only the display going to sleep), it should carry on doing its thing.
How long it will take will depend on what percentage of your library it will actually match, and what it doesn't and therefore needs to be uploaded. Your internet connection speed will obviously also play a part on how long the whole process will take.
I'm pretty sure that if the uploading is interrupted for some reason, whatever is already uploaded is done, and when you start it again it will just carry on from where it was.
Hope that helps...
 
lkrupp said:
Anybody with over a thousand or so tracks is a compulsive hoarder.
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...or has been buying CDs since 1985 and LPs before that, receiving fan club CDs and collecting live radio shows. I am 42 and I have 58000 tracks, some of which I probably will never listen to again, but I have no idea which tracks that is. I have waited for this iTunes Match increase for years. I am pretty sure that 20-30% of all my music is not on Apple Music, it is not on Tidal or on Spotify. Have to give this a try now.
 
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I haven't seen anyone yet mention my biggest problem with iTunes Match, the 200MB per file limitation. I have more than several DJ set recordings that I have collected and love to listen to. These are single files that are generally >60 minutes and run in the 250-450MB range. I have had to do a clunky hack of making these files into Podcasts and syncing them over manually to my iPhone and then play them from the Podcasts app. I'm tempted to test, however expecting to be disappointed to find Apple has not yet increased the allowed file size for iTunes Match.
 
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