Sorry if this is a bit long, but it may be of interest to some people.
One of the major issues that people have encountered with iTunes match is the way that Apple have implemented the 25,000 song limit.
The limit itself isn't the issue, but the fact that there is no obvious way of excluding tracks from being matched, so if you have a library containing more than 25,000 non iTunes purchased tracks then you just can't use the service.
A way round this has been discussed, and is being used by some people (I did this originally mysef). This method is basically to create a new library containing the songs which you wish to be matched and sign that up to iTunes match. You then have two options as to what you do with the remainder of the tracks. You can either have a separate library with just those unmatched tracks, or a separate master library which includes all your music but isn't registered with iTunes match.
Whilst this works, it is not ideal. If you have the unmatched tracks in a separate library (which is what I did) then your music is essentially split in two and you are probably unlikely to listen to one library much.
If you keep a separate full library then you have to remember to add any new purchases to both libraries and also if you make any other changes then you will probably want the changes on both libraries. Playcounts are also split out between the libraries.
Obviously, the best solution would be to be able to just match a selection of tracks in your main library. Hopefully Apple will introduce this feature soon, but in the meantime I have found a way that you can match a selection from your main library with more than 25,000 songs in it, without having to split the library into two.
The solution comes from a method pointed out by Michael Allbritton on the Apple support forum to exclude a track from match. It uses the principle that if you delete a track from the cloud it won't delete that track from any iTunes library which has the song stored locally. Instead, it will show up in the library (and be playable) with an iCloud status of "removed".
This is therefore how you match your library with more than 25,000 songs to iTunes match:
A warning first, you are going to have to temporarily delete some songs from your library so you will lose playcounts etc. We shouldn't delete any actual files, but it's best to make sure you have a backup just in case.
Ideally, you need two computers to do this, as we do need to have a second iTunes library to work with during the process. Theoretically we could do it with two separate libraries on the same computer, but we will be going back and forth between the two fairly regularly so that could become cumbersome. I did this by having my iMac as the main library and a second library on my laptop, which is the ideal setup (especially as I want the laptop to use match anyway for streaming).
Also, before we start, you need to decide which tracks you want to have matched and which to exclude.
Once you have decided that, open iTunes on your main computer but don't subscribe to match yet. Before you do so, you need to delete tracks to bring the size of your library below 25,000 songs. I would suggest that you delete tracks that you don't want matched. We need a bit of space to work with, so I would recommend having no more than 24,000 songs in the library at this point. This will probably mean that you have to delete some songs that you eventually want matched, but that isn't a problem right now.
It is important when you delete the songs that you don't move the files themselves into the trash. Select the box to keep the files.
Once you have done that, subscribe to iTunes match. The initial process may well take some time and during this period you won't have access to your deleted tracks. Bear with me though.
Once your initial match process has finished, we need to see how much of your 25,000 song allocation has been used up. To do this, create a smart playlist where the criteria is that match status is either "matched" or "uploaded". Hopefully this number will be a little way short of 25,000
We now need to start adding back the other tracks into your library, but we don't want them to match. This is where the second computer comes in.
Create a library on the second computer and sign that up to match using the same Apple ID. You should see all of your songs start to appear on that computer. Don't download any yet.
Once everything is there, go back to your main library and add some songs back into the library. I did this an artist at a time (although I did bundle some together if I didn't have many tracks by some artists). Just select File / Add to Library from the top menu bar and then navigate to your iTunes library files and select an artist. This will add those tracks that aren't already in your library by that artist.
It is important that the number of tracks that you add doesn't take us above the 25,000 limit. For example, if your smart playlist shows that you have exactly 24,000 songs so far then you can't add more than 1,000 more tracks.
Once the tracks are added the you need to rerun the match process (store / update iTunes Match from the top menu bar). However, you don't need to let it finish the process. Keep an eye on your other library and after a while (soon after stage 1 of the match process completes) you will see the tracks appear on your library with an iCloud status of "waiting". When that happens you can stop the match process.
Now, on your second library delete those songs that have just appeared. Give it a couple of minutes and you will find that the songs are still in the main library but their cloud status has changed to "removed".
Now if you check your smart playlist you should find that the number of tracks in the cloud is the same as it was before you added the new tracks into the library. The songs are in your main iTunes library but are not counting against your iTunes match total.
Keep on doing this until you have added back all of your songs.
Once you have finished you can then use up your remaining iCloud space by right clicking on selected tracks and adding those tracks to iCloud. This time, obviously, when you rerun the match process let it finish and dont delete the files from your second computer.
I am currently still working through this stage but can confirm that it does still work even when the size of your library exceeds 25,000. My current stats are:
Total Songs 28,705
iTunes purchases 2,639
Matched/Uploaded 24,825
Removed 1,241
The advantage of this method is that your library remains intact (once you have put everything back) rather than fragmented between libraries. Playcounts and metadata changes are synced everywhere (on the iCloud songs), and it is quite easy to change the songs that you have in the cloud (by removing old ones as above and then adding your new selections to the cloud.
I think that this is a lot better solution than having the library split out.
If you have already signed up to iTunes and split your library to keep below the limit you can use this method to put your library back together again. You may have to temporarily remove a few songs from the cloud to give yourself some room for adding tracks.
A final warning. I have had tracks removed from the iCloud for about a week now and they don't seem to cause any problems. I went over the 25,000 limit a couple of days ago again without any problems. I don't foresee any problems with this method but, as always, keep a backup of all your data just in case.
One of the major issues that people have encountered with iTunes match is the way that Apple have implemented the 25,000 song limit.
The limit itself isn't the issue, but the fact that there is no obvious way of excluding tracks from being matched, so if you have a library containing more than 25,000 non iTunes purchased tracks then you just can't use the service.
A way round this has been discussed, and is being used by some people (I did this originally mysef). This method is basically to create a new library containing the songs which you wish to be matched and sign that up to iTunes match. You then have two options as to what you do with the remainder of the tracks. You can either have a separate library with just those unmatched tracks, or a separate master library which includes all your music but isn't registered with iTunes match.
Whilst this works, it is not ideal. If you have the unmatched tracks in a separate library (which is what I did) then your music is essentially split in two and you are probably unlikely to listen to one library much.
If you keep a separate full library then you have to remember to add any new purchases to both libraries and also if you make any other changes then you will probably want the changes on both libraries. Playcounts are also split out between the libraries.
Obviously, the best solution would be to be able to just match a selection of tracks in your main library. Hopefully Apple will introduce this feature soon, but in the meantime I have found a way that you can match a selection from your main library with more than 25,000 songs in it, without having to split the library into two.
The solution comes from a method pointed out by Michael Allbritton on the Apple support forum to exclude a track from match. It uses the principle that if you delete a track from the cloud it won't delete that track from any iTunes library which has the song stored locally. Instead, it will show up in the library (and be playable) with an iCloud status of "removed".
This is therefore how you match your library with more than 25,000 songs to iTunes match:
A warning first, you are going to have to temporarily delete some songs from your library so you will lose playcounts etc. We shouldn't delete any actual files, but it's best to make sure you have a backup just in case.
Ideally, you need two computers to do this, as we do need to have a second iTunes library to work with during the process. Theoretically we could do it with two separate libraries on the same computer, but we will be going back and forth between the two fairly regularly so that could become cumbersome. I did this by having my iMac as the main library and a second library on my laptop, which is the ideal setup (especially as I want the laptop to use match anyway for streaming).
Also, before we start, you need to decide which tracks you want to have matched and which to exclude.
Once you have decided that, open iTunes on your main computer but don't subscribe to match yet. Before you do so, you need to delete tracks to bring the size of your library below 25,000 songs. I would suggest that you delete tracks that you don't want matched. We need a bit of space to work with, so I would recommend having no more than 24,000 songs in the library at this point. This will probably mean that you have to delete some songs that you eventually want matched, but that isn't a problem right now.
It is important when you delete the songs that you don't move the files themselves into the trash. Select the box to keep the files.
Once you have done that, subscribe to iTunes match. The initial process may well take some time and during this period you won't have access to your deleted tracks. Bear with me though.
Once your initial match process has finished, we need to see how much of your 25,000 song allocation has been used up. To do this, create a smart playlist where the criteria is that match status is either "matched" or "uploaded". Hopefully this number will be a little way short of 25,000
We now need to start adding back the other tracks into your library, but we don't want them to match. This is where the second computer comes in.
Create a library on the second computer and sign that up to match using the same Apple ID. You should see all of your songs start to appear on that computer. Don't download any yet.
Once everything is there, go back to your main library and add some songs back into the library. I did this an artist at a time (although I did bundle some together if I didn't have many tracks by some artists). Just select File / Add to Library from the top menu bar and then navigate to your iTunes library files and select an artist. This will add those tracks that aren't already in your library by that artist.
It is important that the number of tracks that you add doesn't take us above the 25,000 limit. For example, if your smart playlist shows that you have exactly 24,000 songs so far then you can't add more than 1,000 more tracks.
Once the tracks are added the you need to rerun the match process (store / update iTunes Match from the top menu bar). However, you don't need to let it finish the process. Keep an eye on your other library and after a while (soon after stage 1 of the match process completes) you will see the tracks appear on your library with an iCloud status of "waiting". When that happens you can stop the match process.
Now, on your second library delete those songs that have just appeared. Give it a couple of minutes and you will find that the songs are still in the main library but their cloud status has changed to "removed".
Now if you check your smart playlist you should find that the number of tracks in the cloud is the same as it was before you added the new tracks into the library. The songs are in your main iTunes library but are not counting against your iTunes match total.
Keep on doing this until you have added back all of your songs.
Once you have finished you can then use up your remaining iCloud space by right clicking on selected tracks and adding those tracks to iCloud. This time, obviously, when you rerun the match process let it finish and dont delete the files from your second computer.
I am currently still working through this stage but can confirm that it does still work even when the size of your library exceeds 25,000. My current stats are:
Total Songs 28,705
iTunes purchases 2,639
Matched/Uploaded 24,825
Removed 1,241
The advantage of this method is that your library remains intact (once you have put everything back) rather than fragmented between libraries. Playcounts and metadata changes are synced everywhere (on the iCloud songs), and it is quite easy to change the songs that you have in the cloud (by removing old ones as above and then adding your new selections to the cloud.
I think that this is a lot better solution than having the library split out.
If you have already signed up to iTunes and split your library to keep below the limit you can use this method to put your library back together again. You may have to temporarily remove a few songs from the cloud to give yourself some room for adding tracks.
A final warning. I have had tracks removed from the iCloud for about a week now and they don't seem to cause any problems. I went over the 25,000 limit a couple of days ago again without any problems. I don't foresee any problems with this method but, as always, keep a backup of all your data just in case.
