Seemed an ideal solution in order to have access to my library 'on the go' without having to dock my phone to my computer every time I wanted to put different music on it. Though I wasn't expecting it to take so long: I 'only' have 300 CDs ripped to my computer but so far it's taken a whopping 18 hours, even though it managed to match 2/3rds of my library (which itself took an absolute age). It's now at 'Step 3: Uploading artwork and remaining songs", and over the past five hours it has completed "142 of 570 items". Looks like it's a great idea, but only if you have a fast internet upload speed.
Anyone tried iTunes Match yet?
- Thread starter MajorFubar
- Start date
rjb70stoke
Well-known member
Ive been using it for 12 months now, and dont begrudge a penny of the £21 fee.
That first matching and uploading while annoying, was worth it, as I now have all my music on tap whenever and wherever I am, (subject to data connection). Once its done you add too it easily and quickly, safe in the knowledge that your tunes are backed up.
True, the quality isnt what many on here would appreciate, but as an off site back-up and convienience feature its a great service.
That first matching and uploading while annoying, was worth it, as I now have all my music on tap whenever and wherever I am, (subject to data connection). Once its done you add too it easily and quickly, safe in the knowledge that your tunes are backed up.
True, the quality isnt what many on here would appreciate, but as an off site back-up and convienience feature its a great service.
Glad you've found it worth it in the long run
I'm now upto 185 out of 570 items...long way to go yet! Biggest complaint among the rest of my house is that the uploading is absolutely killing the internet (ie tying-up the bandwidth).
I'm now upto 185 out of 570 items...long way to go yet! Biggest complaint among the rest of my house is that the uploading is absolutely killing the internet (ie tying-up the bandwidth).
Overdose
Well-known member
As I understand it, iTunes match is at 256kbps. I have my entire library stored on my iPod Classic at this bitrate so far (only 2Gb left mind you) and it is possible to upgrade the iPod HD to 240GB, so for me, the iPod is a true music anywhere solution, regardless of internet connection and at the same bitrate as iTunes match.
I can see the benefit of its use if your collection is at lower bitrates, to bump up your library, but if you already have higher bitrate music and even better, the hard copies, then I don't really see the attraction.
I can see the benefit of its use if your collection is at lower bitrates, to bump up your library, but if you already have higher bitrate music and even better, the hard copies, then I don't really see the attraction.
Well I suppose it depends what you use it for, and how you store your music.
The attraction to me is I have over 300 CDs stored as Apple Lossless files occupying nearly 120GB of diskspace on my Mac Mini.
Providing my iPhone is attached to a WiFi of some sort (or even 3G if I'm desparate), all of that music is available to me anywhere in perfectly adequate quality, without having to keep copies on my phone (it wouldn't all fit anyway, I only have a 16GB phone)
But, if you've already got all your audio stored on a portable device, then yes, it's probably a bit pointless!
(...and I'm now up to 394 of 570 items to be uploaded...it's, ehem, racing along now :dance
The attraction to me is I have over 300 CDs stored as Apple Lossless files occupying nearly 120GB of diskspace on my Mac Mini.
Providing my iPhone is attached to a WiFi of some sort (or even 3G if I'm desparate), all of that music is available to me anywhere in perfectly adequate quality, without having to keep copies on my phone (it wouldn't all fit anyway, I only have a 16GB phone)
But, if you've already got all your audio stored on a portable device, then yes, it's probably a bit pointless!
(...and I'm now up to 394 of 570 items to be uploaded...it's, ehem, racing along now :dance
Overdose
Well-known member
Paul.
Well-known member
If you rip to 320kbps, the unrecognised stuff will be uploaded at 320 instead of downsampled to 256
Overdose
Well-known member
Hmmm...I didn't know that Paul...that's what could be taking the time, as all my stuff was ALAC and a bit more than 1/3rd was unrecognised
No, the stuff it recognises from your collection gets streamed to you at 256kbps AAC, and according to Paul, the stuff it doesn't recognise (and uploads from you) it streams to you at 320kbps, assuming you had it stored at >=320k AAC to start with.Overdose said:
Paul.
Well-known member
If its lossless and unrecognised, it rips and uploads @ 256kbps. If it is ripped at 320, it doesn't downsample it.
Ah fair enough, thanks for the clarification. 256k AAC is easily ample enough for portable purposes imo so I don't think I'm missing much.
professorhat
Well-known member
I really don't think you should think of iTunes Match as a backup. It's not - it's the ability to access your music from any compatible device for as long as the service is offered by Apple and you keep paying for it. It's not a backup.
Again, some may think this as a technicality, but it depends how seriously you consider your digital music collection and the potential of its loss. If it's really serious, then you need a proper backup solution and iTunes Match is not it.
Again, some may think this as a technicality, but it depends how seriously you consider your digital music collection and the potential of its loss. If it's really serious, then you need a proper backup solution and iTunes Match is not it.
Overdose
Well-known member
I think that with storage being relatively cheap these days, having a hard drive or two makes more sense for back up purposes and by the time my music library has grown by another 50%, portable players or mini storage devices will be available to accomodate. Even at 256kbps, a fully grown iPod Classic can store quite a sizeable amount of music.
Yes, iTunes Match is not a backup service; to be fair to Apple, they don't advertise it as one either.
I have found one annoying little problem, and it concerns the fact that if Match has found a 'match', then the album it streams to you is the copy from the iTunes store, not an upload of the the album from your computer. Earlier today I was using iTunes Match to stream Changing Faces (by 10cc and Godley & Creme) to my iPhone. This was the first CD I ever bought (in November 1987) so to say I know it well is an understatement. It took about three seconds of the first song (Dreadlock Holiday) for me to notice that I wasn't listening to the same master used on the CD I've ripped, it's a more recent re-issue of the same album with modern-style compression on some of the tracks. I can live with it, but I'd much prefer it was an upload of my 1987 CD.
I have found one annoying little problem, and it concerns the fact that if Match has found a 'match', then the album it streams to you is the copy from the iTunes store, not an upload of the the album from your computer. Earlier today I was using iTunes Match to stream Changing Faces (by 10cc and Godley & Creme) to my iPhone. This was the first CD I ever bought (in November 1987) so to say I know it well is an understatement. It took about three seconds of the first song (Dreadlock Holiday) for me to notice that I wasn't listening to the same master used on the CD I've ripped, it's a more recent re-issue of the same album with modern-style compression on some of the tracks. I can live with it, but I'd much prefer it was an upload of my 1987 CD.
Had to prove it to myself! The top pair is the ALAC rip from my 1987 CD, the bottom pair is from my iPhone of the iTunes Match version. I've normalised them both to -0.1db, and you can clearly see the DR difference between them.
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