iTunes 12.2.1 solves problem with iTunes Match tracks converted to Apple Music DRM
Apple on Monday released iTunes 12.2.1, fixing a critical problem that would cause tracks matched via iTunes Match to be converted to Apple Music content instead.
The issue was a potentially serious one, since tracks linked with Apple Music have copy protection, and are no longer playable if a subscription to that service expires. Tracks uploaded to iTunes Match are owned by the person in question and are supposed to be freely copyable when downloaded to a device.
Mac owners can fetch the update through the Updates tab at the Mac App Store. Windows owners should be able to grab the software shortly via the Apple Software Update tool, or else via direct download.
Still unresolved is a problem with iCloud Music Library -- which links iTunes Match and Apple Music -- that can substitute bad metadata and artwork, generate duplicates, or even wipe out entire playlists and the music within them. Numerous people have complained on Apple's support forums, although there do appear to be ways of recovering library data such as using old ITL files or restoring from backup, depending on the severity of the damage.
The issue was a potentially serious one, since tracks linked with Apple Music have copy protection, and are no longer playable if a subscription to that service expires. Tracks uploaded to iTunes Match are owned by the person in question and are supposed to be freely copyable when downloaded to a device.
Mac owners can fetch the update through the Updates tab at the Mac App Store. Windows owners should be able to grab the software shortly via the Apple Software Update tool, or else via direct download.
Still unresolved is a problem with iCloud Music Library -- which links iTunes Match and Apple Music -- that can substitute bad metadata and artwork, generate duplicates, or even wipe out entire playlists and the music within them. Numerous people have complained on Apple's support forums, although there do appear to be ways of recovering library data such as using old ITL files or restoring from backup, depending on the severity of the damage.
Comments
Have they fixed the downloaded song truncation issue yet?
I'm not the only one with that problem? That's been an issue for me for years.
I now have tracks in my Match library that I NEVER had before!
U2, perhaps?
If you use iTunes Radio with customized stations, You're going to hate this update. It breaks the ability to edit/create stations other than the horrible curated stations. I'm very sure I was able to still edit stations before updating today in iTunes, but now I cannot.
basically it forces iTunes radio listeners to pay for Apple Music and use it's playlists instead of your custom radio stations built over the past 2 years.
If you use iTunes Radio with customized stations, You're going to hate this update. It breaks the ability to edit/create stations other than the horrible curated stations. I'm very sure I was able to still edit stations before updating today in iTunes, but now I cannot.
basically it forces iTunes radio listeners to pay for Apple Music and use it's playlists instead of your custom radio stations built over the past 2 years.
I lost several stations along with the ability to re-create them just before Apple Music, iOS 8.4, and iTunes 12.2 appeared. For example, the night before Apple Music launched, I noticed my "Chill" station was missing. There was a new "Chill" station with different artwork and a completely different playlist, which I don't care for. There used to be several "decades" channels that I enjoyed. Those are gone as well.
I'm not the only one with that problem? That's been an issue for me for years.
Nope. In fact, one of the Macworld.com contributors has mentioned it in an article. I can't locate the article at the moment.
I have the new curated stations and all my old stations form the previous iTunes Radio AND a couple new stations created with this current version of the Music app via the "Start Station..." selection from a song I was listening to. Clearly our anecdotal evidence clashes, but there it is... I have not yet subscribed to Apple Music; for now I am using the ad-supported "stations". That may be a difference?
Whatever the case, I was surprised after the update to see my old stations since everything I rad seemed to indicate they would go away. They still work fine, and actually provide more variety than before.
Old stations are still there, but unable to add new music to them or change the included artists. There is no way to edit them.
Wait, weren't we told (rather condescendingly, I might add!) that this was user-error?
http://m.imore.com/no-apple-not-adding-drm-songs-your-mac-you-already-own
And still no fix to the scrambled metadata problem...
Software quality at Apple is a hot mess.
Ouch. Either that or Antennagate.
Apple engineers are aware. Apple executives(including Craig) are going around with their fingers in their ears saying everything is fine.
The launch delay of 12.2 indicated it had issues they were scrambling to fix at the last minute. But they shipped buggy, unfinished software, just like iOS 8.4, to meet the deadline.
You still can't stream Beats 1 Radio to Airplay speakers from iTunes (OS X)
Old stations are still there, but unable to add new music to them or change the included artists. There is no way to edit them.
If you are talking about the free service those options have moved to the top center of the window, next to the song name that is playing, under the eclipses menu.
Finally, thank you Apple!
Craig may be saying everything is fine, but in reality, he's just talking about his hair.
Apple execs do not care about your personal files sitting on your computer. The grand vision is to turn your computer into another connected device, while they hold all content in the cloud. Small software bugs like this are now immaterial to the execs, though perhaps the coders and the everyday folk try to preserve things for us.