If you have a large music library and want access to it across all your Apple devices without relying on streaming services, iTunes Match may be the solution for you. iTunes Match lets you store your personal music collection, even songs not purchased through iTunes, in iCloud and access it from anywhere.
Unlike Apple Music, iTunes Match doesn’t offer streaming of Apple’s music catalog but instead focuses on syncing your existing library.
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What Is iTunes Match and Do I Need It?
If you’ve built a personal music library and want to sync it across devices without subscribing to Apple Music, iTunes Match does exactly that. However, if you already use Apple Music or Apple One, you likely don’t need it.
How to Use iTunes Match
1. Subscribe to iTunes Match
- Open the Music app.
- In the menu bar, click Account > Sign In and log in with your Apple ID.
- From the menu bar, go to Store > iTunes Match.
- Click Subscribe, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the purchase.
- The annual subscription fee for iTunes Match remains $24.99/year as of 2025.
You can also subscribe from a Windows PC using the latest version of iTunes for Windows.
2. Upload and Match Your Music Library
After subscribing, iTunes Match will automatically scan your music library to match songs with tracks in Apple’s iTunes Store. Any unmatched songs (such as personal recordings or rare tracks) are uploaded in high-quality 256 Kbps AAC format.
To start the process:
- Stay signed into the Music app.
- iTunes Match will begin analyzing and uploading your tracks automatically.
- Once complete, your music will be stored in iCloud Music Library, accessible from other Apple devices using the same Apple ID.
3. Access iTunes Match on iPhone, iPad, or Mac
To access your iTunes Match music across devices:
- On iPhone or iPad: Go to Settings > Music, and toggle on Sync Library.
- On Mac: In the Music app, go to Music > Preferences > General, and check Sync Library.
- On Windows PC: In iTunes, go to Edit > Preferences > General, and check iCloud Music Library.
Make sure you’re signed in with the same Apple ID you used to subscribe to iTunes Match.
4. Manage and Stream Your Library
Once synced, your entire collection, including matched and uploaded songs, will be available for streaming or download on any device with an internet connection. You can download songs for offline playback or delete local copies to save space.
What’s the difference between iTunes Match and Apple Music?
- iTunes Match: Uploads/matches your own music for cloud access.
- Apple Music: Gives full access to Apple’s entire streaming library and includes music matching/uploading.
Tips for Using iTunes Match
- Back Up Your Library First: Always back up your music locally before syncing, especially if you have rare or unreleased songs.
- Check for Duplicates: Occasionally, matched songs may differ from your original file (e.g., live versions vs. studio). Review and adjust manually if needed.
- Keep Match Active for Access: If your subscription lapses, you’ll lose iCloud access, but any downloaded songs will remain on your device.
- Avoid Redundancy: If you have Apple Music or Apple One, iTunes Match may not be necessary, as both include iCloud music syncing.
- Watch for Upload Limits: iTunes Match supports up to 100,000 songs, excluding purchases from iTunes, which don’t count against the limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once canceled, your music stops syncing across devices via iCloud. You’ll still keep any songs you’ve downloaded locally, but you’ll lose cloud access and future syncing features.
You shouldn’t need both. Apple Music includes all of iTunes Match’s features, plus full streaming access. Cancel iTunes Match if you’re already using Apple Music or Apple One.
No. iTunes Match is not part of Apple One, but Apple One’s Apple Music plan includes the same iCloud syncing features.
Summary
- Subscribe to iTunes Match for $24.99/year.
- Let the Music app scan, match, and upload your songs.
- Enable Sync Library on all your devices.
- Access your music anywhere via iCloud.
- Know that Apple Music or Apple One may make iTunes Match redundant.
Conclusion
iTunes Match is still alive and useful, but only for a specific kind of user. If you own a large, personal music collection and don’t want to pay for streaming, it’s a simple, cost-effective solution for syncing music across all your devices. However, with Apple Music and Apple One offering the same syncing functionality plus streaming, many users may find more value in upgrading. Still, for collectors or those with rare or indie tracks, iTunes Match can be the perfect way to keep everything in one place.
iTunes Match is very buggy. Many “matched” songs won’t play anymore. The message “This item cannot be downloaded.” when trying to play songs happens all the time on synced devices. And there’s no way to have songs re-evaluated without deleting and re-adding; but you lose information if you do this like if the song is a favorite.
I’ve been using this service happily. But I face issue that Apple support cannot help me to solve (can you believe it?). The I have a matched album, but Apple library is changing some items on how the album is classified on their side, then the Match is broken and cannot be played (‘not available for your region” message) and there seems not process to manually update the match. Any one having a suggestion ?
I’m sorry you didn’t receive the required help from Apple Support. Here are a few extra things you can try: 1.Remove and re-add the affected tracks to your local library, then re-enable iCloud Music Library to trigger a new match. 2. Convert the tracks to AAC/MP3 locally and re-import them so they appear as “Uploaded” instead of “Matched,” bypassing Apple’s catalog changes. 3. Keep a local backup of your original files so you can restore them if Apple’s match breaks again.
If you do that any of those songs that are marked as favorites will lose the designation.
I’ve been using iTunes Match since the beginning. Just switched carriers to Tmobile (from ATT) and today all of the music (non-downloaded) is gone from phone. No “synchronize” option anywhere in phone settings. No idea what happened but iTunes is now a (seemingly) unsupported bastard step child of Apple. Beyond frustrating. iPhone 13 Pro / IOS 18.5