iTunes in the Cloud: Backup and download only, no music streaming on offer
Apple finally released details of its iTunes in the Cloud service yesterday, and it’s not the music streaming extravaganza many of us were expecting.
Instead, iTunes in the Cloud – which was launched alongside Apple’s new iCloud online backup service – tracks the songs you buy via iTunes, and enables you to download your collection automatically to your other iOS devices.
It’s the introduction of iTunes Match that’s more revolutionary, however, which also lets you back up your music online – even those songs you’ve downloaded or ripped illegally – with Apple scanning your hard drive and matching your collection song for song.
Once your collection is replicated online, you’ll be able to download high quality (256kbps) versions from iTunes straight to your Apple iPhone, iPod, iPad and up to ten devices in total, saving you the hassle of updating them all independently.
Costing $24.99 per year when it launches in the US, iTunes Match is a clever way for Apple and the record companies to get some money back for all the illegally downloaded content, and it looks especially likely to appeal to those with lots of poor quality songs already on their home computers.
At present, iTunes in the Cloud is set to be launched in the US only, but fingers crossed it’ll make its way over to these shores in the near future. It’s just a shame there’s still no music streaming service on offer from Apple.
User comments (2)
Leave a comment
Holden Caulfield07 June 2011
So, you buy music and then you send it to Apple's iCloud so they can charge you to listen to it? What am I missing here? It's more expensive than Spotify and you can listen to all the music you didn't already have to buy and Apple are the biggest sellers of music playing mobile devices, iPods, iShuffles and iPhones, it'll be a fantastic idea if it works, but who the hell's going to pay for it?
Report as inappropriateEmma Williams07 June 2011
Its not more expensive than Spotify! Spotify is £10 a month. Itunes Match is $24.99 a YEAR so about £1.26 a month. Personnally I only have music from iTunes or CDs that I've either bought or friends have given me so my music is fine quality but I know some music thats downloaded illegally is rubbish quality so I can see that some people would love to get their music at better quality and at £1.26 a month its not much to get that.
Report as inappropriateJoin Channel 5
Creating an account is free, will only take a few moments and will allow you to enjoy the full benefits of 5FWD and Channel 5:
Leave a comment