Free Better Than Itunes Mac Library 2019

If you're considering getting into streaming music, want to listen to your Mac's music collection on all your devices, or you're simply wondering what that giant 'Three months free!' banner is atop the Music app, here's everything you need to know about Apple's two subscription services and what each can offer you.

What Apple Music offers

For $9.99/month (or $14.99/month for a family plan), Apple Music gives you access to its full music streaming catalog on all of your devices. Subscribers can play any song in the Apple Music catalog, whether they own it or not. They also get two customized playlists delivered each week, a New Music Mix, Favorites Mix, Friends Mix, and Chill Mix based on user taste and past-played songs, along with a variety of daily playlist suggestions put together by Apple's music curators. In addition, users can listen to Beats 1, Apple's 24/7 internet radio station, and play back-catalog episodes of Beats 1's various programmed shows.

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Apple Music Subscription

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Apple Music is Apple's massive music service, comprising a subscription music catalog, iCloud Music Library syncing across your devices, Beats 1 live and algorithmic radio, customized playlists, and more artist exclusives than you can shake a stick at.

Outside of the subscription service, Apple Music lets its users match up to 100,000 songs from their iTunes library (or libraries) to the DRM-free iTunes Store catalog; these tracks can then be streamed or downloaded to up to 10 of your other devices. (If Apple Music can't match a track to a song in the iTunes catalog, it'll manually upload it, instead.) Purchased iTunes content doesn't count toward that 100,000 song limit.

Note: Your iCloud Music Library doesn't count toward your iCloud storage, as your Photo Library does; it's only based on the number of songs, rather than gigabytes.

Here's a quick explanation between the different kinds of content stored in iCloud Music Library:

  • Matched content: If you bought Styx's Mr. Roboto on Amazon and added those MP3s to your music library, those recordings are 'matched' to the Mr. Roboto iTunes tracks, rather than manually uploading tracks that the iTunes catalog already has. You can then stream the iTunes versions of these tracks on any device, or download them to your other devices.
  • Purchased content: If you bought Taylor Swift's 1989 on iTunes, you can instantly stream it or download it to any device, with no upload time needed. It also doesn't count toward your 100,000 song limit.
  • Uploaded content: If you recorded covers of 1989 and Mr. Roboto and added those songs to your music library, those recordings will need to be uploaded to iCloud Music Library first before you can play them or download them on other devices.
  • Apple Music content: If you add an Apple Music subscription track (or a playlist) to your music library, that song can now be streamed or downloaded to any of your other devices. It also won't count toward your 100,000 song limit.

Matched, uploaded, and purchased tracks reside in iCloud Music Library, Apple's cloud-based music locker. Users can stream or download these tracks from iCloud Music Library as long as their Apple Music subscription remains active; downloaded tracks will either show up as a 256kbps matched DRM-free AAC file or an AAC-converted file of tracks you uploaded.

If you cancel Apple Music, any matched, uploaded, and purchased tracks you've downloaded will remain on their various devices and fully playable, but you'll lose your ability to stream any non-downloaded matched or uploaded tracks and access iCloud Music Library. (You'll still be able to stream your purchased content from up to 10 devices.)

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Any songs you choose from Apple Music's subscription catalog also get saved to iCloud Music Library, where you can stream and download them, as well as add them to playlists. When downloaded, Apple Music files show up as DRM-encrusted AAC files; if you cancel Apple Music, that DRM will render those downloads unplayable, and you'll no longer be able to stream the subscription tracks.

Bottom line

If you want access to Apple's gigantic subscription streaming library and your music library available across all your devices, subscribe to Apple Music.

What iTunes Match offers

Unlike Apple Music, iTunes Match has no music subscription aspect — the $24.99 a year cost is solely for activating and maintaining your iCloud Music Library.

iTunes Match lets its users match up to 100,000 songs from their iTunes library (or libraries) to the DRM-free iTunes Store catalog; these tracks can then be streamed or downloaded to up to 10 of your other devices. (If iTunes Match can't match a track to a song in the iTunes catalog, it'll manually upload it, instead.) Purchased iTunes content doesn't count toward that 100,000 song limit, nor do they need to be uploaded because Apple has the track on its servers already.

Note: Your iCloud Music Library doesn't count toward your iCloud storage, as your Photo Library does; it's only based on the number of songs, rather than gigabytes.

Here's a quick explanation between the different kinds of content stored in iCloud Music Library:

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  • Purchased content: If you bought Taylor Swift's 1989 on iTunes, you can instantly stream it or download it to any device, with no upload time needed. It also doesn't count toward your 100,000 song limit.
  • Matched content: If you bought Styx's Mr. Roboto on Amazon and added those MP3s to your music library, those recordings are 'matched' to the Mr. Roboto iTunes tracks, rather than manually uploading tracks that the iTunes catalog already has. You can then stream the iTunes versions of these tracks on any device, or download them to your other devices.
  • Uploaded content: If you recorded covers of 1989 and Mr. Roboto and added those songs to your music library, those recordings will need to be uploaded to iCloud Music Library first before you can play them or download them on other devices.

Matched, uploaded, and purchased tracks reside in iCloud Music Library, Apple's cloud-based music locker. Users can stream or download these tracks from iCloud Music Library to any of their 10 devices as long as their iTunes Match subscription remains active; downloaded tracks will either show up as a 256kbps matched DRM-free AAC file or an AAC-converted file of tracks you uploaded on devices other than the Mac or PC from which tracks were uploaded. If you uploaded music in WAV, ALAC, or AIFF formats, then they will remain in those formats on the Mac or PC from which they were uploaded.

If canceled, any tracks you've downloaded will remain on their various devices and fully playable, but you'll lose your ability to stream any non-downloaded tracks or access other iCloud Music Library songs.

Bottom line

If you use another subscription service (like Spotify) and only need your music library available across all your devices, subscribe to iTunes Match.

Do you need both?

Nope: Apple Music essentially includes the iTunes Match service inside its subscription fee.

If Apple Music duplicates iTunes Match's feature-set, why is Apple keeping Match as an option?

Some users aren't interested in adding the cost of a music subscription service to their monthly bills, or they already use a subscription service like Spotify or Google Play Music. For those users, Match makes much more financial sense: iTunes Match is just $24.99/year, while an Apple Music subscription runs you $119.88/year. If streaming services don't appeal to you, but having on-the-go access to your local music library does, iTunes Match appears to be a good alternative option.

Other questions?

Any other questions about iTunes Match vs Apple Music? Sound off in the comments.

Updated August 2019: Additional context provided to how content is stored and distributed in iTunes Match.

Serenity Caldwell contributed to a previous version of this article.

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If you have an Apple Music membership, you get all of the benefits of iTunes Match, plus access to the entire Apple Music catalog. You can also get a Family Membership to share the catalog with your family members. Learn more about joining Apple Music.

About iTunes Match

iTunes Match uploads your music library from the Apple Music app on your Mac or iTunes for Windows on your PC. Then you can access your music library on all of your devices that have Sync Library turned on.

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To subscribe to iTunes Match, update your Mac to the latest version of macOS. On your PC, make sure that you have the latest version of iTunes for Windows.

iTunes Match isn't a back up service, so make sure to always have a back up of your music collection before you make any changes.

Subscribe to iTunes Match

  1. On your Mac, open the Apple Music app. On your PC, open iTunes for Windows.
  2. On your Mac, go to the sidebar and click iTunes Store. Don't see the iTunes Store on your Mac? On your PC, click Store at the top of the iTunes window.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the Store window. Under Features, click iTunes Match.
  4. Click the Subscribe button.
  5. Sign in with the Apple ID and password.
  6. Confirm your billing information. You might need to add a valid payment method. Then click Subscribe.

Free Better Than Itunes Mac Library 2019 Photos

After you subscribe, iTunes Match automatically scans your music library for matches. A status indicator lets you track the scan's progress. You can manually pause and resume the scan at any time by clicking the Stop or Start button. If your Mac or PC disconnects from the Internet during the upload process, iTunes Match will automatically resume where it left off the next time you open the Apple Music app or iTunes for Windows.

Once your music library is uploaded, you'll see next to songs that are available for download from iCloud. If you don't see the download icon, the song is already in your local music library.

Cancel your iTunes Match subscription

By default, your iTunes Match subscription automatically renews at the end of your one-year subscription. Learn how to cancel your subscription.

Use iTunes Match

To access your songs and playlists on other devices, turn on Sync Library on all of your devices.

When you sign in with the Apple ID that you use with iTunes Match on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC, you associate that device with your account and get access to your music library.

It might take some time for iTunes Match to upload your music from your Mac or PC. If you don't see your music on another device right away, check back later. When iTunes Match is finished uploading your music library, appears next to music that's been uploaded.

iTunes Match isn't available for Android devices.

Learn more

Better Than Itunes Software

  • Learn how to turn on Sync Library on all of your devices.
  • If songs are missing from your music library after you turn on Sync Library, learn what to do.
  • Learn how to delete music from your devices.
  • Learn about the cloud status icons you'll see when you have an iTunes Match subscription.

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iTunes Match availability varies by country or region. Learn what's available in your country.

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