Would there be any advantage to me reinstating recently cancelled iTunes Match?

[Smitty1968]

I am an Apple Music subscriber who cancelled my $25 per year Match subscription after subscribing to Apple Music. My reason for cancelling Match was my (apparently incorrect) understanding that Apple Music made Match superfluous (or largely superfluous). However (and bear with me here because I am pretty confused by all the issues with Apple Music), I recently heard Serenity Caldwell mention that she continues to subscribe to Match even though she subscribes to Apple Music because by doing so it protects some or all of her music collection from DRM. I am willing to reinstate Match and pay the $25 per year if it will protect me from or reverse some of the ongoing issues with Apple Music. However, did cancelling Match seal my fate, which can no longer be reversed? In other words, would the scan of the music on my iMac that occurs when I initiate Match simply scan and match a bunch of DRM files with the same DRM files?

God, this is all so confusing and lame!

Final note. What prompted me to ask this question is that I was recently attempting to convert some iTunes song files to MP3 for use as play along tracks with my electronic drums (the Roland drums require MP3), and tons of my songs (either purchased from iTunes or ripped from CDs) would not convert because they were DRM protected. My sense is that had I not cancelled Match this would not have happened with so many song files. My sense (possibly incorrect) is that a bunch of my previously DRM-free music is now DRM protected due to a) subscribing to Apple Music and b) subsequently cancelling my Match subscription.

If my assumption is correct, would there be any advantage in reinstating Match?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Just_Me_D]

That depends on why you cancelled in the first place. I mean, since you're already familiar with iTunes Match, what advantage do you see?

 

[Rob Phillips]

Your own music, that you actually purchased, should still be on your device unless you've manually removed it at some point. Even cancelling iTunes Match wouldn't cause Apple Music to replace your own stuff with DRM versions; it would only make DRM versions available to stream on other devices.

Unless you listen to really unique music that isn't available in Apple Music I don't really see any value in paying for both services.

 

[Smitty1968]

Thanks for the responses. I realize this is confusing and I'm probably not explaining it very well, but I feel like subscribing to Apple Music and then canceling Match has introduced DRM protection to many of my previously DRM free native music files on my hard drive. My understanding from listening to the iMore Podcasts is that Match insulates users from adding DRM protection to music files stored on their main hard drives, but Apple Music has the opposite effect. My MP3 conversion experience described above leads me to believe that many of my previously DRM free native music files on my iMac have been replaced with DRM files, which limits my ability to copy and convert them freely. I was wondering if resubscribing to Match would help alleviate this situation. Serenity stated on a recent podcast that she continues to pay for Match in addition to subscribing to Apple Music because there is a good reason to do so. I think I just need to go back to that podcast and listen to more closely to her rationale. I'm not overly stressed about this; it's more of just a curiosity. Thanks!

 

[Smitty1968]

Even cancelling iTunes Match wouldn't cause Apple Music to replace your own stuff with DRM versions; it would only make DRM versions available to stream on other devices.

That's what I would expect, and I'm sure you're correct, but the problematic MP3 conversion experience I described above led me to believe that many of my previously DRM free native music files on my iMac now have DRM protection, which now prevents me from freely copying and converting them. That experience combined with Serenity Caldwell's recent comment that she continues to subscribe to Match in addition to Apple Music made me wonder if my cancellation of Match somehow infected my native music files on my iMac with DRM protection. I was surprised and frustrated to see all of the notifications during the MP3 conversion process that the files could not be converted because they were DRM protected. In any event, thanks for your response.

 

[Rob Phillips]

You might find this of interest:

Apple sends out engineers to recreate iTunes bug that was deleting local files
http://m.imore.com/apple-sends-out-engineers-recreate-itunes-bug-was-deleting-local-files