In iOS 6, iTunes Match Actually Supports Both Streaming and Downloading of Music

[thenaes]

Until iTunes Match allows you to stream any music from the iTunes store regardless of whether you have previously bought it, it will remain a very different service to Spotify. The article is a bit misleading in that way. Spotify is an all-you-can-eat buffet, iTunes Match is a well-stocked fridge.

I can see the advantage for people with not enough storage on their phone though.

I really hope Apple puts out a streaming service like Spotify at some point this year.

Of the services currently available though, I much prefer Rdio. But if Apple were to have a service available on iOS, OSX, and AppleTV I am pretty sure I would switch.

 

[retroactiv]

Incorrect - they still download...

Been playing with a buddys iPad.

If you go into your usage settings and delete all music, then play a track, the size increases. Also, once you play a song, you can shut off wifi and play the track again. They just aren't showing the download UI, but it's still doing it.

 

[rman726]

Some people haven't had their iPhone 4 for 2 years. You can still buy an 8GB iPhone 4 from a lot of carriers.

If you bought an iPhone 4 in the last year, you obviously don't care about having the best.

 

[adztaylor]

Spotify is an all-you-can-eat buffet, iTunes Match is a well-stocked fridge.

That's actually a good analogy, at least someone in this thread seems to get the difference between the two services.

Another nail in the Spotify coffin.

No it isn't as they're both completely different. Look it up if you're confused.

 

[iSee]

...but all that will change in iOS 6.

Not necesarily. Remember, iOS 6 is a beta (and an fairly early one at that).
Things can and do change.
In fact, wasn't some streaming functionality present in early iOS 5 builds removed by the final release?

 

[a.gomez]

well that is very good news

 

[Ayemerica]

This should have been available from day 1.

 

[Peace]

This should have been available from day 1.

Nothing has changed except the download cloud is separate from the play.

It still downloads the data. I just tested it.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Let me make sure I have this clear...

It costs an annual fee AND you have to already own the song AND it's streaming, not downloading?

Explain to me again how this is better than Spotify, where you can either:
own the song already OR get an ad after a few songs you don't own OR pay a fee?

 

[CapnJackGig]

Apple constantly playing catch-up with Amazon.

 

[GenesisST]

I was pondering whether to renew my current plan (6gb/month) for a cheaper one with less data, since I currently don't use much.

With that plus my new wifi only wifi and tethering, I think that settles it. I'm hoping my 3GS will stay alive until the iPhone 5...

 

[rkahl]

Yep, I'm streaming right now. Very cool.

 

[MacJones]

If you bought an iPhone 4 in the last year, you obviously don't care about having the best.

I bought mine on release day. I'm just saying a lot of people have bought their's within the last year and there is no reason Apple can't bring all of iOS 6's features to the iPhone 4. Jailbroken iPhone 4's run siri and FaceTime over 3G just fine and navigation apps already work from third party apps.

 

[GenesisST]

Let me make sure I have this clear...

It costs an annual fee AND you have to already own the song AND it's streaming, not downloading?

Explain to me again how this is better than Spotify, where you can either:
own the song already OR get an ad after a few songs you don't own OR pay a fee?

Different service. I think of iTunes match as an online backup for My music library. . Much cheaper than mozy for that my library size.

 

[spaceballl]

Wow! This is great! I would like it if they made it even better in two ways...
- when I go into airplane mode, the iTunes Match songs are hidden.... that way my phone doesn't try to play a bunch of songs it won't get.
- I hope this will work in iTunes as well! I have a MacBook Air with a smaller harddrive, and I'd love to be able to stream my music to it without having to use something like the amazon cloud player (what i currently use)

 

[baryon]

Just looking at that video, off topic, and totally unimportant detail, but why is the seek bar thicker on the right side than on the left? Doesn't it make more sense that content you've already heard is marked stronger, just like the volume you're using is highlighted, while the volume you're NOT using is not highlighted?

I mean, it has always been like this (see screenshot): what you have already heard is stronger, while what is coming up is weaker in color…



Not that it bothers me, just curious about this weird decision…

 

[Ayemerica]

Nothing has changed except the download cloud is separate from the play.

It still downloads the data. I just tested it.

Thank you.

 

[mcdermd]

Great. How about getting rid of that 25,000 song limit now? I'd love to be able to use the service but my library is too large.

 

[Tsunami911]

You'll get no sympathy from me

you lucky Retina Toting MBP owner!

They'll probably make it for the 4s only like all the other cool iOS 6 features.

 

[AMG63]

Until iTunes Match allows you to stream any music from the iTunes store regardless of whether you have previously bought it, it will remain a very different service to Spotify. The article is a bit misleading in that way. Spotify is an all-you-can-eat buffet, iTunes Match is a well-stocked fridge.

I can see the advantage for people with not enough storage on their phone though.

Agree.

The days of buying individuals songs at $1.29/each are numbered. With services like Spotify, the iTunes model just doesn't make sense anymore. A new album I wanted the other day was more expensive on iTunes than my $9.99 Spotify subscription. I'm sure we'll see Apple release something similar to Spotify for music (and possibly TV) in the near future.

 

[whitewater2]

Let me make sure I have this clear...

It costs an annual fee AND you have to already own the song AND it's streaming, not downloading?

Explain to me again how this is better than Spotify, where you can either:
own the song already OR get an ad after a few songs you don't own OR pay a fee?

I think people are confusing what the purpose of iTunes Match versus what other services do. (I think of Itunes Match as a security for my music). Spotify is like streaming radio, Itunes Match is not that.

- Itunes Match backs up your music files , and it does it pretty fast rather than uploading your files. I did over 10,000 in less than 2 hours. When I uploading my stuff to Google Music, that was 6-7 days of uploading.

- Costs $25 yearly

- Upgrades all lower quality songs to 256kbps AAC file (this alone pays for my first year of being able to upgrade my music to better quality) from rips I did 10 years ago.

- Can be accessed from your MAC, Windows or IOS devices.

- Streams to AppleTV

 

[Tsunami911]

Not sure why people compare Match to spotify

But it's not Spotify. You can't search for an artist you don't have and stream can you?

they are completely different services and vastly different pricing models.

When one or the other offers both storage of my music and streaming of new stuff got $5/mo. I might bite. until then I'm happy with the 15,000 songs I have in match.

 

[MacJones]

you lucky Retina Toting MBP owner!

Technically I don't own it yet because I have to wait the 2-3 weeks for shipping. It's gonna be the longest 2-3 weeks ever!

 

[steveo218]

I dont think this is correct

I did my own test i played a few songs and then checked how many MB the music app took up. Went from 20MB to over 50MB so i believe when you turn off match it just deletes the songs where it did not perviously did.

 

[Mak47]

iTunes match is essentially a streaming service now, that's how I use it. If I tap on a song in my music library on my iPhone or iPad it usually takes a few seconds to get started then it plays. It'll play continuously through the rest of the album as well if I just let it keep going. Really, it's just playing as it downloads, but the fact that it'll start playing immediately makes this new streaming feature a bit unexciting.

What is exciting is that hopefully it will work better. 95% of the time iTunes match works wonderfully, even over 3G. The other 5% of the time it's a mess and a half. If I try to skip songs, or quickly switch from one album to another it can get stuck.

I know that's not how it's really meant to be used, so I don't get particularly upset about it, but hopefully the new streaming option will work more smoothly.