[ postulate the iTunes Guy is a unconstipated column in which we resolve your inquiry on everything iTunes related . If there ’s something you ’d like to live , transmit an email to the iTunes Guyfor consideration . ]
Apple ’s $ 25 - a - yr iTunes Match service can match the track in your iTunes library with those in Apple ’s 20 - million - song catalog , and have you upload the ones it ca n’t match ( up to 25,000 non - purchased tracks)—and then access those songs via iTunes or your Io machine whenever you need . And for the tracks it does correspond , you could download Apple ’s copies to replace your own ill rive MP3 files from a decade ago . sound dim-witted enough , but we ’ve received dozens of motion regarding iTunes Match . Here are answer to a few of them .
Too many tracks
I have more than 25,000 songs that have compile over the year from the iTunes store , standard candle tear , and other author . How can I forbid some songs from being check to grant others to sync without bump off the spare songs from my subroutine library . Many artists are in the form of discographies and I do n’t need all of them to synchronise .
unluckily , I ’m in the same gravy holder as you ( something Ilamented in an earlier article ) . Apple offers no room to exclude sure track — if your library lean the scales , you wo n’t even be able-bodied to sign up for iTunes Match .
Having more than 25,000 tracks is a no - no , but there are workarounds .
Having more than 25,000 tracks is a no-no, but there are workarounds.
One ( rather gawky ) resolution is to pick out the tracks you do n’t want let in and change their Media Kind to Voice Memo ( filing cabinet - > Get Info - > Options ) . iTunes Match will see those tracks as being unsound for duty ( akaineligible ) .
But perhaps the unspoiled solvent for now is to create a second library to use just for iTunes Match role , or to put your iTunes Match subroutine library on a 2d figurer ( which is what I did ) .
I sincerely desire that Apple will add a tag to iTunes to allow you exclude specific single file from iTunes Match .
Don’t worry about your tags preventing your music from being matched.
Syncing playlists
If I pledge to iTunes Match , will my playlists be available on other Macs or iOS gimmick as they are on my “ home ” computer or do I just see a inclination of all of my music ?
iTunes Match syncs and display of your playlist on all the figurer / iOS twist ( up to 10 devices in amount ) on which you ’ve enabled iTunes Match . Well , many of them — if you have playlist that contain podcasts , videos , or music video recording , they wo n’t sync ( even 1000 songs and one euphony video , say ) . But all your music - only playlists should be uncommitted on different calculator and portable devices .
Matching problems
Do n’t worry about your tags preventing your music from being fit .
I acknowledge that there are many songs in my iTunes library that are sell on the iTunes Store , but that have been “ upload . ” I notice that some tracks had dissimilar spellings , and I shift mine . I attempt to update iTunes Match , but I still have the same amount of uploaded tracks .
iTunes Match does not look at the tag end in your music files . You could call David Bowie ’s “ fighter ” something like “ Four Score and Seven Years Ago , ” and iTunes Match will disregard the statute title and simply look at the music , creating an acoustical fingerprint that it uses to match against its catalog . So even if you change ticket on your own — something I often do with classical music — this wo n’t affect whether or not they jibe . Also , if you match Sung whose tag are wrong , iTunes wo n’t prepare them for you .
Losing lossless?
I spent a lot of time adding CD to my iTunes library in either WAV or Apple Lossless formats . If I interpret right , I will lose this timbre level if I utilise iTunes Match . Is this correct ?
Yes and no . iTunes Match wo n’t alter the songs in your program library unless you choose to interchange them . If a lossless rails has been equalise and you delete your master file , the version you re - download from iTunes will be 256 kbps . And if you download that track on another computer or an iOS gadget , it will similarly be 256 kbps . unpaired lossless audio filing cabinet that are uploaded get transcoded to a 256 - kbps AAC file cabinet first , but again do n’t affect your pilot . In most slip , however , 256 - kbps AAC files are fine for portable machine — submit into circumstance storage space and the headphones or loudspeaker you ’ll be listening through . So you might need to apply iTunes Match to offer medicine to , say , an iPhone , but still use your iTunes library on your Mac when you heed via a stereo .
[ Senior contributor Kirk McElhearn writes about more than just Macs on his blogKirkville . Twitter:@mcelhearnKirk is the author ofTake Control of iTunes 10 : The FAQ , second variation ] .
