ITunes Match: Is it worth it?

[stonetools]

I'm thinking of getting iTunes Match, so I could always have to access to my music. With Ios6, I'lleven be able to stream it.

Does anyone here have it?
How reliable is it?
Is it worth $25 per year?
How does it compare to third party solutions, like Plex and Audiogalaxy?

[hrosvit]

Although I have two iPods, an iPod touch, an iPhone and an iPad, I have not used Apple Match. I can, however, recommend Google Music (actually, I think now it's been absorbed into the entity that is Google Play).

It's free, and you can upload up to 20,000 songs. I believe you can add additional storage for a fee. There are (obviously) official apps for Android devices, but I use two third-party iOS apps - gMusic and GoMusic (I believe both were in the $.99-$4.99 range). I access my music from anywhere I have an internet connection. In fact, as I type, I am uploading the new Fiona Apple disc that I just downloaded from Amazon to my Google Play account, and will be listening to it on the way home over my iPhone, plugged into my truck stereo.


Edit: one warning; I have about 11,500 songs on my account, and it took a looong time to upload. Like two days loooong. Also, as a further disclaimer, I have never purchased music through iTunes (I usually use Amazon), so I cannot say how the iMatch experience might be enhanced by close association with the iTunes store.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by hrosvit

It's free, and you can upload up to 20,000 songs. I believe you can add additional storage for a fee. There are (obviously) official apps for Android devices, but I use two third-party iOS apps - gMusic and GoMusic (I believe both were in the $.99-$4.99 range). I access my music from anywhere I have an internet connection. In fact, as I type, I am uploading the new Fiona Apple disc that I just downloaded from Amazon to my Google Play account, and will be listening to it on the way home over my iPhone, plugged into my truck stereo.

I never thought about a third party app for my Google music. So I just downloaded two free apps - "App for Google Music Free" and "Melodies - A Google Music Client". I'm trying the first one out now.

Amazon released an official Cloud Player app for iOS two weeks ago. So I've been using it to stream the classical stuff I have on my Amazon account. I buy it whenever I get the $1 and $2 music credits they offer.

Of the two music services, I use Amazon far more than Google.

I use iTunes for apps, podcasts, and iTunes U; and nothing else. Additionally, I only download the free stuff. My account doesn't have any forms of payment attached.

Edit: thanks for the tip

[pwalker8]

I've got it. I have a rather large collection of music and being able to access it from my iPhone is great. The real issue is do you have internet access everywhere you want to listen to music? As far as I can tell, it works just fine. I'm sure like any other service, it will have it's growing pains, but all in all, I think it's well worth the $25, especially if most of you music comes from iTunes.

[hrosvit]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I never thought about a third party app for my Google music. So I just downloaded two free apps - "App for Google Music Free" and "Melodies - A Google Music Client". I'm trying the first one out now.

Amazon released an official Cloud Player app for iOS two weeks ago. So I've been using it to stream the classical stuff I have on my Amazon account. I buy it whenever I get the $1 and $2 music credits they offer.

Of the two music services, I use Amazon far more than Google.

I use iTunes for apps, podcasts, and iTunes U; and nothing else. Additionally, I only download the free stuff. My account doesn't have any forms of payment attached.

Edit: thanks for the tip

Please let me know what your opinion is of the apps you downloaded.

I use Amazon almost exclusively to download music (probably driving B&M music stores out of business), but I've never tried their cloud. Can you upload you own (non-Amazon) content? Is there a charge?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by hrosvit

Please let me know what your opinion is of the apps you downloaded.

I use Amazon almost exclusively to download music (probably driving B&M music stores out of business), but I've never tried their cloud. Can you upload you own (non-Amazon) content? Is there a charge?

Will do. I'm shooting for tonight to do a side-by-side.

You can upload your own songs to Amazon's cloud if you want. The basic plan of 5 GB is free and songs purchased from Amazon MP3 don't count against this limit.

Amazon's lowest paid plan is 20 GB for $20/ year. All paid plans include unlimited storage for all of your music, no matter where you got it. Music under these plans doesn't count against your storage limit.

[stonetools]

Google Play seems to have the best price( free for me).
Itunes match is the most convenient, because you don't have to upload your music : it scans yopur catalogue, then just puts it in the cloud. It can upgrade the quality of your music too.
Amazon may have the best prices for music.

They all have iOS apps. Decisions, Decisions...

Thanks for your input, all.

The biggest problem, really, is that streaming via 3G sucks. Wi-fi streaming, though, is pretty good.

[hrosvit]

Originally Posted by stonetools

The biggest problem, really, is that streaming via 3G sucks. Wi-fi streaming, though, is pretty good.

I have had decent luck with streaming. I travel a good bit for work, and drive when I can, since I hate flying. I have used my iPhone and my iPad to stream from Google while driving over a large portion of the eastern US, and the results have been, while not stellar, pretty darn good.

One of the benefits of iTunes Match (that it upgrades the quality of your music) will obviously cause problems with streaming over 3G connections. But that feature would be spectacular for lesser quality recordings when using wifi.

Does iTunes Match have a PC interface? In other words, can I just open iTunes and log into my account and listen to my music from my computer at work?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by hrosvit

Does iTunes Match have a PC interface? In other words, can I just open iTunes and log into my account and listen to my music from my computer at work?

from Apple:

With iTunes in the Cloud, the music you buy from the iTunes Store automatically appears on all your devices.1 And for music you haven’t purchased from iTunes, iTunes Match is the perfect solution. iTunes Match is built right into iTunes on your computer and the Music app on your iOS devices.2 It lets you store your entire collection in iCloud, even music you’ve imported from CDs or purchased somewhere other than iTunes. When it’s in iCloud, it’s available on all your devices. So you can enjoy all your music anywhere, anytime — on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, PC, or Apple TV.

[stonetools]

Until ioS 6, though , iTunes match only allows you to download-not stream-your music.

So if you login at work now, you can listen to your music-but it downloads the music to your device.

[hrosvit]

Originally Posted by stonetools

Until ioS 6, though , iTunes match only allows you to download-not stream-your music.

So if you login at work now, you can listen to your music-but it downloads the music to your device.

Ick. Don't care for that. Maybe I'll check it out when 6 rolls around.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by stonetools

Until ioS 6, though , iTunes match only allows you to download-not stream-your music.

So if you login at work now, you can listen to your music-but it downloads the music to your device.

Well, most of the streaming media systems actually download your media, it's called cacheing. I think that netflix caches several minutes ahead. You pretty much have to do this to avoid hesitations.

I like the way Apple handles it now. It will keep the entire song on the device until it needs the space, or until you manually delete it. That can come in handy if you hit a dead spot. I would like a bit finer control but you can't have everything.

[hrosvit]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Well, most of the streaming media systems actually download your media, it's called cacheing. I think that netflix caches several minutes ahead. You pretty much have to do this to avoid hesitations.

I like the way Apple handles it now. It will keep the entire song on the device until it needs the space, or until you manually delete it. That can come in handy if you hit a dead spot. I would like a bit finer control but you can't have everything.

The apps I use for Google Music allow you to download the songs for off-line listening, but the default is streaming.

[Delotte231]

Originally Posted by hrosvit

The apps I use for Google Music allow you to download the songs for off-line listening, but the default is streaming.

Pretty soon Apple will try to get rid of all things Google in the iOS, so you might have to forget using Google music if you wish to stay with the big Apple

[stonetools]

Went ahead and uploaded my music to Google Play. The Google Music Manager did as advertised, uploading most of my music library. Will try out the Google iOs apps.