Another Apple Music vs Itunes Match question

[nullibist]

Hi, i'm trying to work out whether i need to keep both Apple Music and iTunes Match. I have a bunch of custom playlists that i've created in iTunes on my iMac and i'm currently accessing them through the cloud on my devices using iTunes Match. I also want to have the discovery option (new music discovery) that comes with Apple Music. So obviously i need Apple Music at least, but will Apple Music alone (without iTunes Match) allow me to also access all my custom playlists on the iMac? It currently presents me with access to them through the 'Playlists' button in the Apple Music app, but i don't know whether that is simply because i also have iTunes Match, and if i drop Match i will lose access to those playlists through Apple Music.

Any info gratefully received. Thanks.

Danny.

 

[Tartarus]

Music is an extended version of iTunes Match. They are identical under the hood, with one big difference. If you were to delete your songs from your Mac, and redownload them from iTunes Match, they come 'as is', with no DRM attached. But if you don't have iTunes Match, but only Music, DRM is added to only the 'matched' songs. iTunes Match has no discovery for new songs and Music does have that option.

Feel free to ask more questions if above was unclear.

 

[crankerchick]

The vehicle for making all your music available on any device will be present on either Apple Music or iTunes Match. It's iCloud Music Library and you can successfully get rid of iTunes Match and keep that feature. What you lose if you get rid of Match is the ability to have your music that you own stored in the cloud and available to download DRM free. It will still be stored in the cloud, because of iCloud library, but it will be DRM protected on any device you download it to (just as all the Apple Music additions to the library are also DRM protected). I'm keeping Match because I just like the peace of mind that my music in the cloud (not the Apple Music songs, but my music that I own) is a backup in the cloud. I keep a physical backup on a NAS, but the cloud backup is another layer and if I ever want/need to download it, it's free of DRM and won't cease to be playable if I later cancel Apple Music and switch to a different service.

 

[nullibist]

Ok, thx for your answers. I think i'm getting the picture. I can't imagine that i will ever need to d/load my music from the cloud - I only stream and all my music is DRM free, ripped to highish bitrate by me from CDs, and stored on 2 external HDs plus on Carbonite. My big question was, will i still have access to stream my custom made playlists that i've created in iTunes on my iMac, with Apple Music only. I'm hearing that my "music" will be available, or my "iTunes Library" will be available with Apple Music (no Match), but will my custom playlists themselves be available?? I think the answer is yes, but i haven't seen it definitively. Thanks. Danny.

 

[crankerchick]

Ok, thx for your answers. I think i'm getting the picture. I can't imagine that i will ever need to d/load my music from the cloud - I only stream and all my music is DRM free, ripped to highish bitrate by me from CDs, and stored on 2 external HDs plus on Carbonite. My big question was, will i still have access to stream my custom made playlists that i've created in iTunes on my iMac, with Apple Music only. I'm hearing that my "music" will be available, or my "iTunes Library" will be available with Apple Music (no Match), but will my custom playlists themselves be available?? I think the answer is yes, but i haven't seen it definitively. Thanks. Danny.

Yes. That part will work the same. Custom playlists and smart playlists will still sync. It's all part of iCloud library.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Tartarus]

^^ what she said.. The definitive answer is yes.

 

[nullibist]

Great! Thanks for the advice. I'll be saying bye bye to Match then, next time it's up for renewal

 

[Hendri Hendri]

Yes. That part will work the same. Custom playlists and smart playlists will still sync. It's all part of iCloud library.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

the music we upload to itunes match (which not available at apple music), will still remain in icloud even we unsubscribe the itunes match ? And if so, it will become DRM when we d/l it ?

Posted via the iMore App for Android

 

[Tartarus]

the music we upload to itunes match (which not available at apple music), will still remain in icloud even we unsubscribe the itunes match ? And if so, it will become DRM when we d/l it ?

Posted via the iMore App for Android

That's my understanding of iCloud Music Library, yes.. Both services are using iCloud Music Library to make songs available on all of your devices.

 

[Tartarus]

That's my understanding of iCloud Music Library, yes.. Both services are using iCloud Music Library to make songs available on all of your devices.

But to be sure, make a backup as well of all your songs before unsubscribing from iTunes Match

 

[Hendri Hendri]

That's my understanding of iCloud Music Library, yes.. Both services are using iCloud Music Library to make songs available on all of your devices.

Meaning, apple make "your own music" as theirs (a.k.a drm) even we decided to stop giving them access to the "un match" music? Wow... prefer them to just deleted it from cloud.

Actually, i think apple would have great data (survey) for their music references with this itunes match upload thing. They can learn and do lot of analys for society best interests in music

Posted via the iMore App for Android

 

[Tartarus]

Meaning, apple make "your own music" as theirs (a.k.a drm) even we decided to stop giving them access to the "un match" music? Wow... prefer them to just deleted it from cloud.

Actually, i think apple would have great data (survey) for their music references with this itunes match upload thing. They can learn and do lot of analys for society best interests in music

Posted via the iMore App for Android

You have that all wrong, my friend. Apple only adds DRM to 'matched' music and not to 'uploaded' and 'purchased'.. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

 

[Hendri Hendri]

You have that all wrong, my friend. Apple only adds DRM to 'matched' music and not to 'uploaded' and 'purchased'.. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Oh ic, is that mean, the "uploaded" music will be unavailable as well (on apple music/playlists) if we stop itunes match ? (Just to ensure i got the correct understanding)

Posted via the iMore App for Android

 

[Tartarus]

No it will stay available. All your matched, uploaded and purchased music is in iCloud Music Library, matched, uploaded. If you have added music from Music, it's there as well.

iTunes Match and Music are both services to stream music to your iDevices. iTunes Match only for your own music and Music for streaming music you don't own.

 

[Hendri Hendri]

No it will stay available. All your matched, uploaded and purchased music is in iCloud Music Library, matched, uploaded. If you have added music from Music, it's there as well.

iTunes Match and Music are both services to stream music to your iDevices. iTunes Match only for your own music and Music for streaming music you don't own.

Well now i'm confused

Please correct me again :


Will do backup for all our music ("uploaded" , "purchased" and "matched" - itunes match & apple music

If we download the music, it will become drm, except "uploaded" and "purchased" music - itunes match & apple music

If we unsubscribe itunes match, we can still stream online / offline for the "uploaded" music with apple music without drm

If we unsubscribe itunes match, the "matched" music will become drm if we stream online/offline (and this is the only differences between apple music and itunes match)

Both with same music limitation

Posted via the iMore App for Android

 

[Tartarus]

Well now i'm confused

Please correct me again :


Will do backup for all our music ("uploaded" , "purchased" and "matched" - itunes match & Apple Music

this is correct

If we download the music, it will become drm, except "uploaded" and "purchased" music - itunes match & Apple Music

incorrect.. 'Matched' songs only get DRM on Music. iTunes Match has no any kind of DRM in no any situation.

If we unsubscribe itunes match, we can still stream online / offline for the "uploaded" music with apple music without drm

correct

If we unsubscribe itunes match, the "matched" music will become drm if we stream online/offline (and this is the only differences between apple music and itunes match)

it will only get DRM added if you delete the actual song from your Mac or PC or download it to another pc/Mac. As long as the music is physically saved on your pc/Mac, there will never be added DRM.
Once again, only if you download matched songs from Music, it will have DRM added to it. As long as you don't delete the physical song from your pc/Mac, DRM is not added.

Both with same music limitation

I don't understand this.

 

[Hendri Hendri]

this is correct
incorrect.. 'Matched' songs only get DRM on Music. iTunes Match has no any kind of DRM in no any situation.

correct

it will only get DRM added if you delete the actual song from your Mac or PC or download it to another pc/Mac. As long as the music is physically saved on your pc/Mac, there will never be added DRM.
Once again, only if you download matched songs from Music, it will have DRM added to it. As long as you don't delete the physical song from your pc/Mac, DRM is not added.

I don't understand this.

Crystal clear now, thx for that, and i will unsubs itunes match once it's due

What I meant for limitation is 1000 limit songs ? (I forget the exact no)

Posted via the iMore App for Android

 

[Tartarus]

25k for now. It's known to be upped to 100k, but nobody knows exactly when.

 

[crankerchick]

the music we upload to itunes match (which not available at apple music), will still remain in icloud even we unsubscribe the itunes match ? And if so, it will become DRM when we d/l it ?

Posted via the iMore App for Android

There's a few different things that happen when you use iCloud Library, either through Match or Apple Music. Your existing library of owned music (either purchased from Apple, ripped from CDs, acquired through "other" methods, whatever) is compared against the Apple Music catalog for Apple Music or the iTunes Store (for Match). Either way, if that music is "matched" to the Apple catalog it's being compared to, then iCloud Library will contain the matched song in the library. Nothing gets uploaded.

If the song some how doesn't match to anything in the catalog it's being compared to, then it will be uploaded. Your physical song on your hard drive in your library will be upload to the cloud library.

If the song doesn't match and is the wrong format, too long, too big, etc then it will be ineligible and will not be put in your cloud library at all.

If the song was purchased from Apple, then it will definitely be in the catalog it is compared to so it will not be uploaded.

With Apple Music, any song that is classified as "Matched" will be DRM'd on any devices you download it to.

With iTunes Match, any song classified as "Matched" will remain free and clear. If you think about it, this makes sense. iTunes Match is a vault to store YOUR music. You already own it and all Apple is doing is charging you to store that music in cloud. If you want to download it, it is yours to download. It's a fine way to take crappy music files and if they match to the Apple catalog, have them upgraded to the higher quality AAC file Apple uses. You can download it and it is free and clear (because you already own it), it's just getting an upgrade in quality.

Apple Music that you don't own that you just add to your library will always be DRM'd, as it should be, because you don't own it so you don't get to keep it. You are just paying to "rent" it.

If you currently have iTunes Match and Apple Music and unsubscribe from iTunes Match, all your library as it exists will still be available with Apple Music (remember, it's just one library, your iCloud Music Library). It is, in theory, possible some songs that were "matched" in iTunes Match might go to "uploaded" in Apple Music because there are some songs that are available in one catalog and not the other. The only that will change is any songs that were "matched" will now be DRM'd if you download them and will stop playing if you unsubscribe from Apple Music.

Your iCloud Library (be it Match or Apple Music) is still your library. All the benefits that go with using the iCloud Library carry over regardless of which service you use. That means all of the music in the library is available on all devices logged into iCloud. The playlists, play count, last played, smart playlists, etc are all available on any device no matter which service you use.

 

[nullibist]

Phew, now that's a comprehensive explanation! :rotfl: