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what does itunes match do? what is it good for?

i've been subscribed to and using iTunes match for years. my understanding of iTunes match's value for me is: music i've "brought into" apple music, by uploading CDs or individual songs i've purchased from Amazon, Lala, and other stores, would stay available as part of my apple music library. recently i've seen a clear case of songs i uploaded from a CD, songs that as a result i've had available for years, being "grayed out" in apple music, i.e. no longer available. i asked apple support, and must have spoken to 5 or 6 apple support advisors, and none of them explained to my satisfaction why my music was missing or really what i can expect iTunes match to do for me. that's my question: what does iTunes match actually do for subscribers? what is is good for?

Posted on Dec 29, 2021 6:02 PM

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Posted on Dec 29, 2021 6:14 PM

Apple iTunes Match synchs your music library across your devices, and replaces lower-bitrate music with higher-bitrate recordings where available.


Officially ➡️ Subscribe to iTunes Match - Apple Support


I would not expect to see media purchases (from within or outside the Apple iTunes Store) disappear, though media rights are nothing if not a quagmire.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 29, 2021 6:14 PM in response to wmharvey

Apple iTunes Match synchs your music library across your devices, and replaces lower-bitrate music with higher-bitrate recordings where available.


Officially ➡️ Subscribe to iTunes Match - Apple Support


I would not expect to see media purchases (from within or outside the Apple iTunes Store) disappear, though media rights are nothing if not a quagmire.

Dec 29, 2021 6:30 PM in response to MrHoffman

what about this, from my first post: "my understanding of iTunes match's value for me is: music i've 'brought into' apple music, by uploading CDs or individual songs i've purchased from Amazon, Lala, and other stores, would stay available as part of my apple music library." iTunes match doesn't do this job? my perception is that iTunes match or something is by and large doing this job. maybe it is just the regular Apple Music functionality?


and, what you say one of iTunes match's jobs is, synching the apple music library across devices, that to me seems like "regular Apple Music functionality" made possible by iCloud and the music synching settings on devices, not a job requiring a paid subscription to iTunes Match.

Dec 29, 2021 6:35 PM in response to wmharvey

Follow and read the article at the blue-text link posted previously.


Apple Music and iTunes Match both provide sync.


The former also includes music rental, while the latter does not.


I would expect my own purchased music to remain available, and it would seem that this case got caught up in some media-rights mess, and that’s seemingly not likely to get addressed here. (We’re other users like you, and not Apple.)

what does itunes match do? what is it good for?

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