iTunes Match stopped working with iTunes 10.7?

[Canubis]

Since somewhen around yesterday or the day before, my iTunes (version 10.7) stopped working syncing my library through iTunes Match. Has anybody experienced the same problem?

iTunes Match status looks to be okay according to Apple system status page.

I already turned off iTunes Match and turned it on again. It starts to sync, compares my library with Apple's song library to match songs and seems to finish this process. So far everything seems to go fine. But then the little cloud icon right to "Music" in the sidebar changes to "connection broken cloud" icon - see image below.

I also checked the web, couldn't find any information about Apple increasing iTunes version requirements for iTunes match to work.
Another interesting fact: This issue appears on both of my Macs, running different OS versions but both running iTunes 10.7 (I'd really like to avoid upgrading to any new iTunes version if somehow possible. Not a friend of the new version lacking features I love, but that's another story…)
However, iTunes Match seems to work fine on my iPhone. At least all songs that have been matched in the past through my Macs show up in the Music app on my iPhone.

Any ideas or people with same experience?

 

[Primejimbo]

What features is it lacking? I like it and I thought they took away the side bar, but it's just under playlists now. I also see iTunes Match working a lot faster too.

 

[Canubis]

What features is it lacking? I like it and I thought they took away the side bar, but it's just under playlists now. I also see iTunes Match working a lot faster too.

Hi Primejimbo, thanks for your reply. However, I don't really want to mess up this thread and go off topic about discussing iTunes version preferences. Just to answer your question, two features I'd really miss are coverflow and the cover in the right bottom corner. But as stated, don't wanna go off topic here, there seem to be enough lengthy threads about iTunes version preferences here on MacRumors…

Especially since everywhere on Apples websites iTunes 10.7 is still noted as supported for using iTunes Match. So I am wondering if somebody else still running iTunes 10.7 is running into same problems?

 

[Primejimbo]

That's why I pointed out that iTunes Match is very fast now. When I had it with iTunes 10 and 11, it was dog slow.

When I was on those I would turn off iTunes match, shut my computer down and did a cold start, then turn on iTunes match. Most of the time that did fix my issues I had with it.

 

[Canubis]

I actually never had much of an issue with iTunes Match' speed, worked fine for me in 10.7. Maybe my library is not huge enough or I am just a too patient type of guy.

Maybe I'll try using latest iTunes version just to see if iTunes Match will work then. However, is it know if I could go back easily to a previous iTunes version number (if I keep the old binary and backup copy of my iTunes library folder) or is iTunes Match online database then locked to somehow work only with newer versions? Any experience?

One interesting tidbit: It seems that my iTunes Match issues occurred around the same time, when news were published about Apple now supporting iCloud Two-Way Verification for FaceTime and iMessage. Tbh I am not using Two-Way Verification yet, but maybe this issue is somehow connected with them changing authentication on their servers or something…?

 

[bcnmac]

The same thing happened to me. I received a mail from Apple support listing the usual steps to turn off/turn on Itunes match, restart the computer, etc. It still doesn't work on 10.7. I'm waiting for another reply.

I have another partition with 12 and itunes match works. I'm reluctant to change because I have everything working well on OSX 10.8.5 and itunes 10.7.

It'll be a bummer if they stop supporting 10.7. Reminds me of the whole upgrade to IOS 7 if you want Facetime to work.

 

[Primejimbo]

The same thing happened to me. I received a mail from Apple support listing the usual steps to turn off/turn on Itunes match, restart the computer, etc. It still doesn't work on 10.7. I'm waiting for another reply.

I have another partition with 12 and itunes match works. I'm reluctant to change because I have everything working well on OSX 10.8.5 and itunes 10.7.

It'll be a bummer if they stop supporting 10.7. Reminds me of the whole upgrade to IOS 7 if you want Facetime to work.

It came out 2 1/2 year ago, it's technology.... It's not like it's the main OS not being supported.

 

[Canubis]

The same thing happened to me. I received a mail from Apple support listing the usual steps to turn off/turn on Itunes match, restart the computer, etc. It still doesn't work on 10.7. I'm waiting for another reply.

@bcnmac - just to check my hypothesis if this is somehow connected to their increased support for iCloud 2-way verification around the exact same time when iTunes Match stopped working for me: do you have 2-way verification enabled on your Apple ID. (I'd understand if you chose to rather not share this information of course, as it's a security related question. )

 

[bcnmac]

Well, I haven't heard back from Apple Support. I bit the bullet and upgraded to 12.1

Itunes Match works fine now, although a lot of playlists were messed up.

I don't like the fact that you can't have multiple windows. I.e., one for the app store and another with my current playlist. I have a lot of smart playlists which make me rediscover my library. If I go to the app store, then itunes forgets which artist I've selected in the playlist and starts playing everything randomly. Oh well, I have another 9 months or so with match. Depending on where they go with the service I'll continue or move over to google all access.

Any luck on your end?

 

[Canubis]

No news here, I had several mail exchanges with Apple support and latest update was today that they will escalate the issue to the account-engineering-team. I should expect a wait time of 2-3 days, so I will hopefully have news on Wednesday next week latest.

What you tell me about iTunes 12 makes me even more disappointed about the vision of upgrading my version 10.7. So I'll stick with iTunes Match not working and waiting for if Apple support is going to fix this or not, at least I will for the moment…

 

[Porco]

Canubis, did you get this resolved yet at all?

I've been having a similar issue in similar circumstances (iTunes 10.7) for the last week or so. The iCloud Status for everything is just 'waiting'. All the time.

I've tried lots of the usual stuff, I'm fairly sure it's a problem on Apple's side at this point. Something is broken.

 

[Canubis]

Hi Porco, no unfortunately this issue has not been resolved. I have been in contact with several people at Apple now. I started getting in touch with iTunes Support (by chat), then been in touch with their senior support at the iTunes Store devision, but been forwarded to the technical support hotline then.

Two days ago I got a call by technical senior advisor of the Mac support unit from Ireland (I am from Europe, so that's why Ireland most probably), who sent me a little application to create a profile of my Mac, which has been sent to the US technical team. I've been told they're going to look into it, which may take some more time now.

To me it absolutely looks like they changed something on iTunes Match servers that prohibits iTunes 10.7. from working with it, as iTunes 11 works just fine (I already tried that).

Apple advised me to upgrade to whichever version works for me, although they confirmed it should work with every iTunes version starting 10.5.1 (as stated on their website). Also this circumstance is the reason, dev teams from the US are now going to look into it.

Please, feel encouraged to also get in touch with Apple's technical support hotline and tell them about the problem. Even if your not under some Apple Care protection plan, they should help you as your paying a monthly/yearly subscription rate for iTunes Match. And they're still supporting iTunes 10.7 according to their website, so it should work, which was confirmed to me several times, but in fact it doesn't.

I believe the more people calling Apple about this issue, the better. Maybe we can make them fix whatever broke 10.7 support server-wise.

 

[Porco]

I just didn't want to have to do loads of telephone calls with no guarantee of a resolution, I already feel like I've spent way too long on Match, so I've caved in and installed iTunes 12.1 (yuck) on the machine that contains my main iTunes library.

I figured I'll probably need to move to Mavericks or Yosemite in the next year or so anyway, so I may as well get used to version 12 now. I still don't like it as much as 10.7 by a considerable amount, but it did fix the stuck 'waiting status issue in iTunes Match at least. If it hadn't have worked I was ready to cancel Match, which has never been stellar for me anyway.

I don't like the fact that you can't have multiple windows. I.e., one for the app store and another with my current playlist. I have a lot of smart playlists which make me rediscover my library. If I go to the app store, then itunes forgets which artist I've selected in the playlist and starts playing everything randomly.

Yeah, this is one of my main gripes with iTunes (11 and) 12. In my usage, I found having an additional windows for a playlist made it so much nicer to create a playlist from scratch. 'Up next' is not the same.

My other main gripe is the removal of the artwork viewer in the bottom of what was the sidebar, now the 'playlist' view. It was really nice having the visual cue when browsing through songs, the only choices for viewing artwork in song view now kind of suck because you're forced to choose between only displaying artwork next to albums that are a few songs long or more, or displaying artwork for every track which makes you have to scroll more unnecessarily because of the big gaps created for individual tracks or EPs to be able to show the artwork. Having the artwork viewer in playlist mode would make much more sense, it was a far more efficient option, and I wish they'd bring it back.

 

[logicstudiouser]

I have been in the same boat since late February, but it started working again for me today! Really happy. Looks like my feedback to apple paid off.
I hope it is solved for you too!

 

[Canubis]

I have been in the same boat since late February, but it started working again for me today! Really happy. Looks like my feedback to apple paid off.
I hope it is solved for you too!

Wow this is interesting news. Are you aware of doing anything special to make it work again or did it start working again all on its own? Did Apple get back to you with a solution/did they solve something for you?

Unfortunately the issue still persists for me and Apple support is still "looking into this".

 

[logicstudiouser]

Wow this is interesting news. Are you aware of doing anything special to make it work again or did it start working again all on its own? Did Apple get back to you with a solution/did they solve something for you?

Unfortunately the issue still persists for me and Apple support is still "looking into this".

I would suggest you:
1. Deauthorize your computer
2. turn off itunes match,
3. sign out of your apple id (from the drop down 'store' section)
4. Reset itunes store cache in itunes preferences
5. Quit iTunes
6. Repair Disk Permissions in disk utility
7. Restart the computer

Once you have done all that, launch itunes, reauthorize your computer, sign into iTunes with apple id and turn on iTunes Match (you can do all that from the 'store' section at the top of itunes)

I hope it resolves it on your end. It just randomly worked when I launched iTunes today. Fingers crossed it will stay reliably working.

Hope that helps for you.

One other thing, when I launched today, it took about 40 minutes 'sending information to Apple', let it finish, it appears stuck but it does eventually finish.

 

[Canubis]

@logicstudiouser, thanks for describing these steps. I followed them accurately, however unfortunately the issue persists.

May I ask which OS X and iTunes versions you are using right now? Is it still the same as it was when the issue occurred in February?

 

[logicstudiouser]

@logicstudiouser, thanks for describing these steps. I followed them accurately, however unfortunately the issue persists.

May I ask which OS X and iTunes versions you are using right now? Is it still the same as it was when the issue occurred in February?

Hey sorry, I must have missed this reply. I came back to this page today because I am experiencing the issue again!
Just started happening again today. Resubmitted the complaint to Apple.

Still running iTunes 10.7 on 10.6.8.
That is too bad you are still having issues with it and the steps didn't help you. Those were steps I took and it seemed to have fixed the issue for 3 weeks.
If I here anything that may concretely help, I will post on here.
Hopefully it will work again and that we figure out why this time.