Apple issues iTunes 10.5.1 beta 1 to developers to test iTunes Match
Following the public release of iTunes 10.5 with support for iOS 5 devices, Apple also privately released iTunes 10.5.1 to its developer community, allowing them to test the forthcoming iTunes Match service.
The final release of iTunes 10.5, released earlier Tuesday, does not include support for the $24.99-per-year iTunes Match service. It will become publicly available later this month, along with another update to iTunes.
Developers can test the iTunes Match service with the first beta of iTunes 10.5.1, supplied to them by Apple on Tuesday. The beta is available for both Mac and Windows, and iTunes Match is currently available only to developers in the U.S.
When it launches later this month, iTunes Match will scan users' personal music libraries on their computer for music files that were not purchased through iTunes. Those tracks will then be matched up with Apple's library of over 20 million songs in the iTunes Music Store.
With the annual fee, users will be able to access their library of up to 25,000 songs from any device, and will be able to re-download songs via iTunes in the Cloud. Users will also be able to replace their matched files with higher quality 256Kbps iTunes Plus AAC files, even if the original copy is of lower quality.
Apple's iTunes Match service is different from competing options with Google and Amazon, which require that a user upload their personal library of tracks to remote servers. Apple's method bypasses the need for uploading songs by simply matching the files with its own extensive selection.
For songs that may not be available on iTunes, Apple will also upload those files and remotely host them. The songs will then also be available for users to re-download on another Mac or PC, or on the go with an iPhone or iPad.
The final release of iTunes 10.5, released earlier Tuesday, does not include support for the $24.99-per-year iTunes Match service. It will become publicly available later this month, along with another update to iTunes.
Developers can test the iTunes Match service with the first beta of iTunes 10.5.1, supplied to them by Apple on Tuesday. The beta is available for both Mac and Windows, and iTunes Match is currently available only to developers in the U.S.
When it launches later this month, iTunes Match will scan users' personal music libraries on their computer for music files that were not purchased through iTunes. Those tracks will then be matched up with Apple's library of over 20 million songs in the iTunes Music Store.
With the annual fee, users will be able to access their library of up to 25,000 songs from any device, and will be able to re-download songs via iTunes in the Cloud. Users will also be able to replace their matched files with higher quality 256Kbps iTunes Plus AAC files, even if the original copy is of lower quality.
Apple's iTunes Match service is different from competing options with Google and Amazon, which require that a user upload their personal library of tracks to remote servers. Apple's method bypasses the need for uploading songs by simply matching the files with its own extensive selection.
For songs that may not be available on iTunes, Apple will also upload those files and remotely host them. The songs will then also be available for users to re-download on another Mac or PC, or on the go with an iPhone or iPad.
Comments
is there any official word yet on what happens if you stop paying for it after a year?
No official word, but I would imagine that you can download all of the updated tracks, cancel you subscription, and keep all of the songs you downloaded. You won't be able to access them from the cloud or redownload them through iTunes in the Cloud if you lose them, but that's the risk you take.
No official word, but I would imagine that you can download all of the updated tracks, cancel you subscription, and keep all of the songs you downloaded. You won't be able to access them from the cloud or redownload them through iTunes in the Cloud if you lose them, but that's the risk you take.
This is exactly what happens.
Tracks downloaded from the cloud are in plain AAC formats without any sort of DRM; they are only tagged as have been downloaded from iCloud in a tag. Once your subscription expires you only lose the ability to download tracks from the cloud on your computer and other devices. Any tracks that you've previously matched and downloaded or uploaded and redownloaded from iCloud will work as normal.
Upgrade all your songs to 256 AAC and DRM free
Download them all to your PC
And you're good to go, even if you stop paying the following years
i have SL what does itunes 10.5 do for me??
i'm getting new ip4s(steve edition) friday,
does itunes 10.5 require lion?
i have SL what does itunes 10.5 do for me??
i'm getting new ip4s(steve edition) friday,
Nope, I think it even runs on OSX 10.5 (and G4/G5). iTunes 10.5 is needed for compatibility with devices running iOS 5. Which you will be as of friday, so you'll need to download it.