How to Use iTunes Match

Learn how to set up and use Apple's scan-and-match service to access your personal music collection across iPhones, iPads Macs, Windows PCs, and more.

iTunes Match is a $25/year service designed to scan and match songs in your local music library to the iTunes catalog. It uploads non-matched items to iCloud. Whether you've ripped tracks from CDs or copied them from other sources, iTunes Match lets you access your entire music collection via any Apple device or Windows PC without repurchasing anything.

Here, we'll focus on showing you how to make the most of iTunes Match. But before you can start using iTunes Match, you must first sign up for the service. So, let's start with that.

How to Sign Up for iTunes Match

iTunes Match requires at least iTunes 10.5.2 for Mac and Windows or Apple's Music app on an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV. Third-party music apps don't work with iTunes Match. To sign up for iTunes Match, open the Music app on macOS or iTunes for Windows and click iTunes Store in the sidebar (Mac) or Store at the top (Windows). Now, click iTunes Match in the Features section at the bottom, and then hit the Subscribe button and follow the instructions.

How to Start Using iTunes Match

If you'd like to make your music available across devices, you must first turn on the iCloud Music Library option.

On iOS, go to Settings > Music and turn on the Sync Library option. On macOS, launch the Music app and choose Music > Preferences from the menu bar, then tick the Sync Library box on the General tab. And lastly, on Windows, go to Edit > Preferences in iTunes and check iCloud Music Library under the General tab.

Aside from matched and uploaded songs, your iCloud Music Library includes music you've purchased from the iTunes Store.

After signing up, iTunes Match will analyze your library. To pause/resume the scan at any time, click the stop/start button. Large music libraries will take a while to upload and sync across devices. Don't worry about losing the internet connection; the scan will auto-resume when you use iTunes or the Music app again.

Once you've completed the initial scan, iTunes Match will regularly update as you add to or remove music from your library. To run a manual scan at any time, select File > Library > Update iCloud Music Library in iTunes or the Music app.

To start streaming a matched song from your iCloud Music Library, double-click it on your Apple or Windows device. You'll notice that non-matched songs have a Download button next to them. If the song is already downloaded locally to the device, you won't see this button. On iOS and iPadOS, the song automatically downloads upon hitting the play button (meaning it'll take up memory space in your iPhone or iPad).

What Do Those Cloud Status Icons Mean?

To make using iTunes Match easier, we recommend you to turn on cloud status icons by clicking Songs in the sidebar of iTunes or the Music app, then right-click the top row and turn on Cloud Download and Cloud Status. Here's what the different cloud status icons mean:

• Cloud with a downward arrow: This icon means the song isn't available for playback without an Internet connection. To download the song to your device, click the icon.
• Cloud with a dotted outline: If you see this icon, it means the upload is pending, or iTunes could not find a match. It's also likely the song is no longer available in Apple's catalog or hasn't been released yet.
• Cloud with an X: This icon means that the song was deleted from your iCloud library by one of your other devices that uses iTunes Match. "Songs that you delete from your music library are immediately removed from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, but stay on other associated computers until they're manually deleted," according to Apple's clarification.
• Cloud with a line running through it: This song is ineligible for iTunes Match because either the file is too large, you didn't purchase it from the iTunes Store, or you used a different Apple ID for the purchase. Remember that iTunes Match imposes a per-song limit of 200MB in size or two hours in length.
• Cloud with an exclamation point: There was an unexpected error while attempting to add this song to the iCloud Music Library. To re/add it, manually update your library (File > Library > Update Cloud Music Library) or try uploading a new copy of the song.

You'll also spot the following song descriptors in the Cloud Status column:

• Apple Music: The song was added to your library from Apple Music
• Matched: The song is matched via Apple Music or the iTunes Store
• Purchased: This song was purchased in the iTunes Store
• Uploaded: The song is uploaded because it couldn't be matched
• Not uploaded: The song came from another source, but this device lacks the file
• Ineligible: The song does not meet the criteria for iTunes Match
• Waiting: The song is currently uploading or is about to upload
• Removed: The song is in your local music library but not in your iCloud one

For further explanation and tips on what to do if iTunes Match takes a long time to upload songs or some of your music is grayed out, consult Apple's support document.

How to Upgrade Your Lower Quality Originals

If you try to delete a song, iTunes will ask whether you just want to delete the local file or also remove the track from your iCloud Music Library. In most cases, you'll only want to remove a local copy of the song from a particular device. Removing a song from the iCloud Music Library will delete its copies from all your iTunes Match devices, preventing you from re-downloading it later.

One good feature of iTunes Match is that it lets you upgrade low-quality songs to 256kbps AAC for free by deleting local copies and re-downloading their iTunes Store versions. To do this, start by creating a smart playlist in the Music app or iTunes with the following parameters:

• Media type: Music
• Quality: Less than 256kbps

And any of the following (Option-click on the "+" icon to create this ANY rule):

• iCloud Status: Purchased
• iCloud Status: Matched

All the songs in this smart playlist have a high-quality version available. You'll now want to trash those low-quality originals stored locally on the device. You'll notice that doing so won't remove tracks from the list. Instead, they'll display a cloud icon next to them. Simply hit this icon to get the matched song in the 256kbps AAC quality from the iTunes Store.

Please keep in mind that you cannot re-download those higher-quality tracks if you cancel your iTunes Match subscription. As a result, you'll no longer be able to listen to those high-quality downloads without re-subscribing to iTunes Match or Apple Music.

The Limitations of iTunes Match

The following caveats apply when using iTunes Match:

• A song cannot exceed 200 MB in size or two hours in duration
• iTunes won't match songs that are less than 96Kbps
• DRM songs are uploaded if the device is authorized to play them
• iPhone voice memos are not uploaded
• Downloads and streaming are restricted to 256kbps AAC
• iTunes Match is not a backup service for your music
• No more than 100,000 matched and uploaded songs per account
• iTunes Store purchases don't count against this ceiling
• iTunes Match is not available on Android

If you cancel your iTunes Match subscription, any matched, uploaded, and purchased music will be retained in iCloud. However, Apple explains that you'll no longer be allowed to stream or download those tracks without re-subscribing. Don't worry; your original song files will remain intact on the device you uploaded them from.

All Your Music, Available Everywhere

All in all, iTunes Match is an excellent service for people who have built huge personal music collections over the years and don't happen to pay for Apple Music. Those with an Apple Music subscription automatically get iTunes Match functionality at no additional charge. So, if you're an Apple Music member, you can upload your music to the cloud and access it on your other devices. But unlike with Apple Music, iTunes Match also lets you access your music on the older second and third-generation Apple TV models.

To be clear, Apple Music subscribers get all the benefits of iTunes Match and unlimited access to the entire Apple Music catalog. Additionally, Apple Music comes with an optional family membership which permits you to share the subscription with up to five family members.